[REMOVING THE LAYERS TO REMEMBER THE TRUTH THAT WAS ALWAYS THERE.]

[FOR MANY YEARS I BELIEVED THAT TRUTH WAS SOMETHING I HAD TO FIND.

I SEARCHED FOR IT IN BOOKS.

I SEARCHED FOR IT IN PEOPLE.

I SEARCHED FOR IT IN EXPERIENCES.

I SEARCHED FOR IT ACROSS THE LAND.

AND ALTHOUGH EACH JOURNEY TAUGHT ME SOMETHING, I NOW SEE THAT I WAS SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS NEVER ACTUALLY LOST.

WHAT I WAS SEARCHING FOR WAS HIDDEN BENEATH THE LAYERS I HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO WEAR.

AS I HAVE SAT WITH MY OWN LIFE IN HONESTY, I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT THE JOURNEY WAS NEVER REALLY ABOUT BECOMING SOMEONE NEW.

IT WAS ABOUT REMEMBERING WHO I WAS BEFORE THE LAYERS WERE PLACED UPON ME.

I WAS TAUGHT FROM MY EARLIEST REMEMBRANCE THAT LOVE MEANT GIVING.

GIVE YOUR TIME.

GIVE YOUR ENERGY.

GIVE YOUR STRENGTH.

GIVE YOURSELF AWAY.

AND NEVER EXPECT TO RECEIVE.

I LIVED THAT WAY FOR OVER FORTY YEARS.

I BELIEVED THAT WAS LOVE.

I BELIEVED THAT WAS HONOR.

AND YET, WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT, I HAD LEARNED TO ABANDON MYSELF WHILE LOVING OTHERS.

IT WAS NEVER DONE OUT OF MALICE.

IT WAS DONE BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT I HAD BEEN TAUGHT.

THROUGH HONESTY, SOMETHING QUIET BEGAN TO HAPPEN.

NOT OVERNIGHT.

NOT THROUGH FORCE.

NOT THROUGH ANOTHER PERSON.

LAYER BY LAYER, THE THINGS THAT DID NOT BELONG TO THE ORIGINAL ME BEGAN TO FALL AWAY.

NOT BECAUSE I FOUGHT THEM.

BECAUSE I WAS FINALLY HONEST ENOUGH TO SEE THEM.

I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT HONESTY DOES NOT CREATE THE TRUTH.

HONESTY REMOVES WHAT HAS BEEN HIDING THE TRUTH.

THAT HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR ME.

I USED TO THINK MY PURPOSE WAS TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON.

TODAY, I SEE IT DIFFERENTLY.

MY PURPOSE IS NOT TO BECOME SOMEONE ELSE.

MY PURPOSE IS TO REMEMBER WHO I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BENEATH THE LAYERS OF FEAR, SHAME, EXPECTATIONS, AND PROGRAMMING.

THAT IS WHAT HOME HAS BECOME TO ME.

HOME IS NOT A PLACE ON A MAP.

HOME IS NOT A DESTINATION I ARRIVE AT.

HOME IS THE QUIET PLACE WITHIN MYSELF WHERE I NO LONGER FEEL THE NEED TO ABANDON WHO I AM.

PERHAPS THAT IS WHY TRUE PEACE DOES NOT FEEL LIKE EXCITEMENT.

IT FEELS LIKE QUIETNESS.

A QUIETNESS THAT DOES NOT NEED TO PROVE ANYTHING.

A QUIETNESS THAT IS NOT PULLING ME BACK INTO THE PAST OR PUSHING ME INTO THE FUTURE.

IT IS SIMPLY PRESENT.

IT IS HOME.

ONE OF THE GREATEST DISCOVERIES I HAVE MADE IS THAT I DO NOT NEED TO BREAK MYSELF TO BECOME WHOLE.

I DO NOT NEED TO CREATE A NEW SELF.

I ONLY NEED TO REMEMBER THE SELF THAT WAS ALWAYS THERE BEFORE THE WORLD TAUGHT ME WHO I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.

THAT REMEMBRANCE CONTINUES EACH DAY.

NOT THROUGH STRIVING.

NOT THROUGH PERFECTION.

BUT THROUGH HONESTY.

BECAUSE…

HONESTY NEEDS AIR.

AND WHEN IT IS GIVEN AIR, THE TRUTH DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CREATED.

IT SIMPLY BEGINS TO BREATHE AGAIN.

IF THERE IS ONE THING I WOULD QUIETLY INVITE YOU TO CONSIDER, IT IS NOT WHETHER MY STORY IS TRUE FOR YOU.

IT IS THIS ONE HONEST QUESTION:

WHAT LAYERS HAVE I BEEN WEARING THAT WERE TAUGHT TO ME, BUT ARE NOT TRULY ME?

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION TODAY.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FORCE ANYTHING.

SIMPLY GIVE IT AIR.

BECAUSE PERHAPS THE TRUTH YOU HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR HAS NEVER BEEN MISSING.

PERHAPS IT HAS BEEN QUIETLY WAITING BENEATH THE LAYERS…

REMEMBERING HOME.]

FOR THE BLESSING AND HONOR IS WITH YOUR SOUL’S-JOURNEY AND EVOLUTION ON THIS PLANET-EARTH-JOURNEY BY THIS GRID-WALKER AND POSTMASTER: Ephraim-H: Troyer.

: HONESTY JUST NEEDS AIR.

: LOVE HAS NO CONDITIONS.

: FACTS HAVE NO FEELINGS.

: HUMILITY HAS NO EGO.

: ANCHOR.

: PILLAR.