My Entrance

This is my first official post on my brand new blog. Some may think "damn this took him long" and others may think "holy crap he gave in to peer pressure." I will say that I neither intended to have a blog nor intended not to have one, but as a good friend reminded me, it's a good way to keep up with the happenings of the people you care about. So here I am joining the online community.

I chose "Differentiation of Self" for this blog because I feel like it's a perfect way of explaining where I am in life. Differentiation of self is basically the ability to separate one's emotions from one's intellect in an attempt to maintain autonomy and less fusion in relationships. This is not to say that dependence on relationships isn't at the core of who I am, but it is to say that I choose not to seek approval and acceptance from others.

This last year has been exactly that. Coming out in March had a huge impact on the person I am today. Around this time last year I was completely paralyzed by the thought of being gay. I feared that the people close to me would not accept or approve of me. I remember spending countless nights laying in bed dreading my journey. Well here I am on the path and loving it. It meant giving up on what others thought of me and embracing where God was leading me. What has been most surprising in this past year is the overwhelming support I've received from my friends and family. Who would have thought that giving up on other's approval would lead me to a place where the people that care about me accept me completely? But isn't that such an important truth: when we finally give something up and stop seeking after it, that's when we get it...