The Personal Challenge

             

                                                                   

It indeed is quite a challenging year as we are all battling with lockdown worldwide.  In-fact, being in isolation is quite exhausting and draining for most and not so new for members of the LGBTIQA+ as isolation has been something we have been battling with all our lives.With only a monumental 8 months left in this year 2020, one can only hope that it will be smooth sailing from here on wards (as soon as we flatten the curve ofcourse).

Many a people have set challenges for themselves, Twitter and Facebook is already abuzz with the latest #No rush challenge and God knows what next we shall receive. For the past couple of days, I have been pondering as to what challenge I should set for myself as an individual, let alone a human rights defender. I came to only one conclusion; self-acceptance and individuality. It goes without saying that each one of us is unique in all forms, and as such we need to embrace who we are, ( easier said than done right). We all seem to have some sort of lack within us; we doubt our existence or personality, assimilating ourselves to others every now and again. I believe it is time we changed that.

Individuality
We tend to define our -selves with what we have, what we have acquired either be education wise or material wise. We neglect our individuality and envy being something else that we are not. Recently I saw a post on Facebook, a very popular media site where one user said; this year as gay men are sleeping with women. Forgive me for not getting amused by this; instead I saw a gap in individuality and acceptance. It is safe to say that individuals are on a daily basis struggling with their sexuality, constantly denying who they are as individuals. If an individual then speaks in such a manner, I wonder how an individual struggling to come to terms with being gay or transgender comes to accept their existence and uniqueness. As alluded by Fassinger(1996) and Cass (1979) identity models of self-identification, an lgbtiq+ person goes through a number of phases of self-identification until finally he or she or they accepts who they are.

The Challenge
I propose that this year 2020 we embark on a personal identification and self-awareness challenge and as such individuals adopt a sense of self-acceptance. This is meant for individuals to acknowledge who they are as persons and be proud of it. I would like to call it the #I Am challenge. Alex Ndzinisa, the Chief Executive Officer of Who I Am (a motivational speaker) once said;'' to be the best, one must accept and acknowledge that they are a unique being and with that they embody something different that no other person can person has in this world''. This being the case, self- acknowledgement and self-acceptance are the pillars of empowerment. During this period of lockdown, we are faced with being kept indoors with people who might not approve of our sexuality, which might ofcourse lead to distraught; we all want a sense of belonging. One thing I have realised is that when one is content about themselves, they can overcome any obstacle.

Self-endearment
Self-admiration, acceptance and adoration leads to an improved self-esteem. We all know what that means right; improved lifestyle, improved health etc. A bit of self-endearment I am pretty sure would not hurt anyone. So, for the rest of the year, let us look forward to being in-touch with our beings and overcome these trials and tribulations with a positive mind-set. Remember to Let love win and know that We Are.