I have a confession. When I first came across Owning Pink last spring, I was turned off. Not by the content, but by the color. I’m a tom boy. Not a girly girl. I was the little girl that refused to wear pink. My mother was resigned to paint my room yellow because I wasn't doing pink. My theme song is Dar William's "When I Was a Boy." Like her, I would much rather climb a tree or play in the mud than be caught in pink. Own Pink? Own Purple maybe, but not Pink.

Yet I found I couldn’t stay away. There was something about the community and Lissa's energy that called me to get involved. Having been a community contributor and now an Owning Pink blogger, I decided it was time I figure out what being Pink meant to me, especially since I have a strong aversion to the color.

Authenticity

Authenticity is at the core of my Pink philosophy and thing that struck me about the voices on Owning Pink. This is the single most appealing aspect of Owning Pink the movement, and Owning Pink my practice. 

Being authentic hasn't always been easy for me. Maybe it's hitting middle age.  Or realizing that life is too short to care what others think about me. Whatever the reason, I discovered that authenticity is a blast. It's where I am finding the strength to practice radical self care. It's the source behind my journey toward independence. Learning to be authentic has freed me to follow my passions when common sense and financial practicalities might dictate otherwise. How fun is that?

Awareness

Being Pink also means being aware in the present moment. As I have uncovered my Pinkness, I am learning to tune into my body. I found that being aware and present allows me to hear the messages and change course when my body signals danger. That may mean exiting a conversation because my arm is tingling - a sign I am beginning to notice as "danger - negative attitude approaching." Or it may simply mean going to bed early instead of grabbing a cup of coffee and driving on. Either way, I feel sooo much better when I am aware.

Practicing Pink has also meant becoming aware of my heart's song. When I can block out the chatter of my mind, the gremlins and the world (a continuing process), I am able to hear what my heart is telling me to do. Unlike my head, and even my gut, my heart has no other motive than my well-being and happiness. From my heart I am finding the strength to overcome any challenge.

Love

Being Pink is also about embracing love, especially self-love. My life experiences confirm the paraphrased saying “you can’t love others until you love yourself.” Learning to own my Pinkness has helped me take that self love to a more meaningful level. Not only are my visible actions loving (i.e., eating better, exercise), but my invisible actions - my thoughts and feelings - are increasingly more loving as I embrace the Pink. As I learn to love my entire being, I am claiming my own worth and giving myself permission to heal.

This love for me has spilled over into my love toward others. I love being able to hold space for others and their journeys. This was a revelation for me. Wanting to help others led me to be a lawyer, but I could never really figured out how to help -- I think because I was always trying to fix instead of just listen. As I am embracing the Pink, I am understanding what helping really means. And so I find it ironic that I am on the verge of entering a new career with the sole intent of helping people. Yet, this time I am better equipped with the love to do so.

My Pink and Best Self

Authenticity, awareness, love. That’s all well and good, but what about that pink thing? After contemplating all the ways I am Pink, I still wasn’t comfortable with “Pink”. My favorite color is blue. I prefer gargoyles over angels and mud over bubble bath. I was still stuck on the color thing.

On a whim I decided to look up Pink in the dictionary. A quick search on dictionary.com revealed the following definition: “highest or best degree: as in the pink of health.” Wow. I can’t say I have ever heard this usage, but it fits perfectly. This was the missing link for me!

As I have embraced authenticity, awareness and love, I am becoming my Pink (best) self. Yes, Owning Pink is about Owning Me in the highest and best degree. So yes, I Own Pink! And proudly. I might even have to go buy a pink dress to celebrate.

So Pinkies, this is what Owning Pink means to me. How do you Own Pink? Do you have reservations? Fears? What are they?

Colorfully yours,