Be—Don’t Try to Become

Breathe...

Think about this: How many times have you swallowed your truth just to comply, just to keep the peace, or to avoid rocking the boat? How many times have you agreed to plans when your body said no, but your fear of missing out said yes? How many of us have stayed in relationships, friendships, even marriages—not because they nourished us,

but because they were familiar and the unknown felt too daunting to face?

We trade authenticity for belonging. We trade presence for performance. We trade our health for the illusion of control.

But at what cost?

Last week, I shared a quote by Osho:“Be—don’t try to become.”

I can honestly say this line has been echoing inside me ever since. It arises in those subtle moments when I notice tension in my shoulders or that my breath is shallow, held back as if waiting for permission. It surfaces when I catch myself pushing, striving, or bracing instead of simply being present with what is.

But here’s the truth: why is simply being so difficult? Even terrifying, at times?

This summer has been a season of intensity for me. I lost a few dear loved ones. Close friends have endured painful and traumatic experiences. One of my daughters was sick with infections nearly the entire summer, and we are still searching for answers. And, it isn’t just me—when I pause and really look around, it seems as though everyone I know is moving through some kind of discomfort, upheaval, or heartbreak. The world itself feels heavy with suffering and transition.

And yet, in the midst of it all, these simple five words ask me to stop striving and simply be.

But why is that so scary?

Every time we contort ourselves into who we think we “should” be, we abandon the one thing life is asking of us: to be here, as we are, right now.

I’m learning that “be” is not passive—it’s the most courageous thing we can do. “To be” means to let the truth of this moment rise up, even if it’s messy, uncomfortable, or uncertain. “To be” is to breathe deeper when fear tells us to hold our breath. “To be” is to remember that our worth does not live in who we might become one day—it lives here, in the raw and unpolished self that already exists.

So maybe the invitation isn’t to fix ourselves or to strive endlessly for some ideal version of who we think we should be. Maybe the invitation is simpler, more radical:

To pause.

To feel.

To show up exactly as we are.

When we let go of becoming, we finally start to belong—to ourselves, to this moment, and to life itself.

If this resonates with you—if you’re tired of carrying the weight of who you “should” be and are ready to come home to who you already are—I invite you to connect with me. This is the work I guide my clients through: creating space to breathe, to release, and to return to themselves. Click the link in my bio to book a session. 

Your being is already enough. 

And Exhale...