The Best Yes and Authenticity

I'm currently participating in the Proverbs 31 study on Lysa TerKeurst's book The Best Yes. Some people don't get much out of an online study. They need other people to get something out of them. I get that. I'm a-ok going through this study by myself. I feel that this study is a time for me and God and let me tell you that he has been doing lots of talking through Lysa and I've been doing lots of swallowing and taking it all in.

The basics, in case you can't gather from the title of the book, is that sometimes we have to say "no", even to really good things, in order to get "the best yes". Seems like a pretty simple concept, right? We all know in our heads that we can't possibly accept every assignment or opportunity that is offered to us, but's not that easy. Saying no may lead people to think that we aren't up for what it is that is being offered to us.

The hardest hitting moment for me, came right at the beginning in Chapter 1. (Umm, thanks?) This paragraph stuck out to me over the past few weeks:

"In this great day when most women wave banners of authenticity about our pasts, we crouch back from honesty about our presents. We'll tell you all about our broken places of yesterday but don't dare admit the limitations of our today." 

Hard hitting, yea? Sure, I have a hard time being honest about my present, but this hit me harder at the authenticity I display of my past. With recent events occurring and being brought to the forefront in the world of professional sports, many of my friends have tried to get me to speak out more on my past. They don't understand why I won't be more open to encourage others. Is it because I'm afraid of being judged? That's a minimal concern. Is it because I'm afraid of disappointing others? Eh, that's minimal as well. The real reason that I don't speak out is because I'm disappointed in myself. I don't speak out because I can't put it into words that people will understand. I know (because it was pretty convicting and spoken in a way that I couldn't miss the fact) that I will never truly be able to achieve my best yes until I can reach that point of authenticity, not just with others, but also with myself.