When will you take your place?

This semester has been one of the best I have ever had at school, with my group therapy class easily being the best class I have ever taken as a graduate student. Not only am I learning a lot about how to lead groups for clients in the future, but I am also bonding with my classmates and learning about myself and my own strengths and struggles. With only two classes left, I went to class last night feeling a little sad that I wouldn't be seeing my classmates and professor every week anymore, and decided to share a bit of what I have learned about myself over the past 12 weeks. After I shared my own experience and inner life struggles with self-esteem, confidence, and feeling somewhat unworthy, my professor said something to me that I will never forget. He said:

"When will you take your place at the banquet of life?"

The imagery and power behind this one sentence spoke to me, and I immediately knew that until I value and love myself, I will never take my place at the banquet of life. I know that many people, especially women, struggle with feelings of unworthiness because of their past experiences or societal pressures, and I wonder if more people wouldn't benefit from hearing this simple quote about standing up for yourself and making sure you have your own place in life.

That's the reason I am doing what I am doing. I could have gone down a different road, and would have been finishing up law school next year if I would have decided to continue pursuing that field...But I am studying psychology instead and learning to be a therapist because there are too many people in this world who have never been told that they are worthy and valuable, and that they deserve a place in this banquet of life.

My journey toward taking my own place at the banquet of life isn't over yet...and if fact, is just beginning! It's a long road that leads to the undoing of years of letting life pass you bye, but it's a road worth traveling down in order to take control of myself and prepare myself to truly take my place at the banquet of life.

I am so excited to be taking this journey, and I know that self-love and self-value are waiting for me at the other end of the tunnel. I am officially kick-starting my journey by taking an art-yoga-therapy class at our yoga studio! The class focuses on finding your inner self, and the child within you that has been lost to the negative experiences of life through creative art, movement, imagery, and writing. I hope that this class will be a big step in finding the little girl I used to be who was never afraid to speak her mind, dance to her own music, and be her own happy person! I hope to use what I learn in this class to then help others find the love for and confidence in themselves that will lead them directly to their own place at this wonderful banquet of life!!!