Happy Monday go-getters,

This past weekend I attended my cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful affair from start to finish, but what really struck me was something the priest said during the ceremony.

I'm not a particularly religious person, but his words resonated with me so much that I pulled out my iPhone (in the middle of church...the horror!) and quickly jotted down this phrase in my notes:

Don't discover yourself. Build yourself.

I knew I wanted to remember those words to share this story with you. Because, really...this has nothing to do with religion at all. It's just life and something we all can relate to.

How many times have you either told someone or thought to yourself, "I really just need to find myself." 

Uh...guilty as charged. 

We've all been through it. Whether you're fresh out of college or years into building a family and career, we all experience this uncertainty. We question if we're on the right path. We wonder if there's something more out there for us.

It's easy to want to escape and run away from all the feelings...completely clear our heads in hopes of finding clarity.

But here's the thing.

As people, we are multi-layered. Think about it this way: there's the layer that our parents help shape, the layer our friends shape, our bosses, our significant others and so on. The priest went on to say that when people attempt to find themselves, they often try to strip away those layers, desperate to find something, anything, in hopes of discovering who they are.

But once they peel back all those layers, they are left with...NOTHING.

Because people cannot "find" themselves.

People cannot be found. And they certainly can't do it alone.

But, what people can be is built.

And we are built by experiences and by the people who surround us in our lives.

So instead of trying to "find yourself," change your thinking.

Embrace all of those layers, even the imperfect and confusing ones. Those imperfections are what make you who you are. They shape your future and help you discover who you are really meant to be.

Remember: your path is not a perfectly straight line from point A to point B. It's long and winding, full of unexpected twists and turns.

And that's what makes it completely beautiful and unique to you, and you only.

What do you think...are you finding yourself or building yourself? Hit reply and let me know your thoughts.

Best wishes for a wonderful week ahead!

Get gutsy,

Jessica

PS- Just as a reminder, as of July 1, Google Reader will be gone for good (Wah!) If you read blogs through Google Reader, be sure to download your Reader subscriptions through Google Takeout and experiment with alternative RSS services. I personally recommend Feedly and even published a simple how-to guide to make the transition easier for you. Have a favorite new RSS service? I'd love to hear about it!