One of this summer’s major aha moments came courtesy of a flower. In the spring I planted red dahlia bulbs—always one of my favorite flowers—and for months only the foliage grew. One day buds began to appear and then about a week later I looked in awe at a magnificent teacher being.

This deep red dahlia about 8” in diameter was audacious, luscious and gorgeous. It was all of these things and completely without self-doubt, feelings of unworthiness and questioning. It just was. Its beauty was merely a function of the natural expression of its DNA. Of course it wasn’t going to be anything else. How could it be?

What would the world be like if we were able to follow the lead of plants? We could all just be who we are without worries, agendas, concerns about how others perceive us, ego, and fears. Does a tree think “Am I worthy of taking up this much physical space?” Are grasses anxious about how they look when they blow in the breeze? Does a bush ever question if it’s supposed to lose its leaves and go dormant for a while? Plants do what they do because it’s who and what they are.

Allow yourself to be you. Accept and love your skin color, sense of humor, body shape, drive to be alone sometimes and anything and everything that you may wish to change about yourself. Please understand that you’ve chosen many of your physical and personality attributes to help you learn and grow your soul. Liberate yourself from self-doubt and just be. Then you’ll see just how lovely and unlimited life can be.