Society can lead us to believe that if we don’t fall under a category in every area of our life, we are not worthy of having a voice, or taking up space… so we put labels on most things, whether it’s our relationships, our status, our roles at work or home, or even our dress sense but what I’m coming to realise is that a lot of the time, labels are limiting. As humans we thrive when we feel free, when we can evolve, so why are we so hell bent on pigeon holing ourselves into these boxes at every opportunity?

I was recently in a situation where someone I’d never met before asked about my religion. It really caught me off guard and I remember feeling my body internally gasp, not because there’s anything wrong with the question (there’s not!) but because of how it suddenly made me very aware my answer was not a straight forward one.

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I am spiritual. I have unwavering faith in the universe. But there’s no real label I can put on my beliefs.

It was always considered a bit of a taboo subject during my childhood, as a young girl I was always told that along with politics, religion was not a topic to be openly discussed. Right or wrong as that may be, it left me feeling confused for many years about my own beliefs. I carried that through to my adulthood and only truly gained clarity with my faith during recent years.

Being asked to explain it to someone who had no prior context of my journey made me feel the kind of vulnerability that only comes from standing alone on stage under the spotlight with the whole crowd waiting for you to perform.

Just like any other part of me, my beliefs are complex, they grow with me and my experiences.

But what I do know with certainty is…

I’m religious about doing the hard work to get to where I want to be.

I’m religious about living a life with purpose.

I’m religious about investing in my self development and education.

I’m religious about spending my time and energy on pursuits and people that match my energy.

I’m religious about the way I show up in my role as a daughter, friend and partner.

I’m religious about moving and nourishing my body.

I’m religious about taking time to rest and recover.

I’m religious about protecting my peace.

I’m religious about acceptance, of life, situations, myself and others.

I’m religious about maintaining boundaries.

I’m religious about speaking and writing from the heart.

I’m religious about being vulnerable as much as I am stoic.

I’m religious about making choices that align with the woman I want to show up as.

I’m religious about being considered rather than reactive.

I’m religious about prioritising my real life presence over my digital one.

I’m religious about living a life I don’t want or need to escape from.

I study experiences not a bible.

I practice gratitude not prayer.

I attend recovery meetings, not church. ️

So, in actual fact I am very religious, just perhaps in a way that calls for a different understanding of belief systems… and maybe we should just embrace the freedom that comes from knowing who you are without the need to put a label on it.