When I look at myself in the mirror and see my  long brown hair and scruffled face, this is when I feel most like myself. For some reason, seeing my stubble makes me actually connect more to my feminine nature. Does this make sense? I am new to acknowledging these feelings im myself of feeling as both male and female at the same time. i don't feel crazy, but it does seem...different, but wonderfully true to myself. I don't feel like I have two people inside of my body, or a female self trying to break out. i feel comfortably integrated, like there are two souls singing this beautiful duet, making this beautiful art through me. Does anyone else feel like this? what are your experiences in discovering your "unorthodox" nature.

Loving yourself for who you are is the best form of acceptance you can find. Great post. Hugs, Devlyn

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on November 08, 2012, 10:36:33 PM
Loving yourself for who you are is the best form of acceptance you can find. Great post. Hugs, Devlyn

This ^^^

Is where it all starts.

Huggs
Catherine

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on November 08, 2012, 10:36:33 PM
Loving yourself for who you are is the best form of acceptance you can find. Great post. Hugs, Devlyn

Thank you so much! Truly, i appreciate a response! It's a little difficult to get past my mother's rejection of my bisexuality and bigender issues from such a young age, but I know with each day it gets better as long as i stay true to myself and believe that i am worthy of love...even from myself! (wow, that was a big deal for me to type! it shook me up)

Hi Ewan,

And you have now passed the very first test in your journey. And you have done it in a magnanimous way.

You have learnt to listen to your own thoughts and feelings and ignore the mis-information and misguided comments of others who don't, won't or can't understand what you are going through. Irrespective of how much they love you. Love is supposedly unconditional. Whether you have two heads on your shoulder or one leg, or whatever else makes you different. You are gifted.

The power of your self talk cannot be underestimated. The better your self talk is the better your confidence, esteem and outlook will be. The opposite is also very true.

Surround yourself with positive and progressive people and nothing will be impossible for you.

Keep moving forward, you are doing a fabulous job.

Take on board what you have said about yourself and NEVER let it go for anyone or anything. You are staying true to yourself and you ARE worthy of love. Make it a Mantra if necessary and it will ooze out of every pore in your body. People will see it coming for miles, it'll be written all over your face. You won't need to tell them, they'll sense it, and look up to you.

Lotsa huggs
Catherine

Quote from: Catherine Sarah on November 08, 2012, 11:04:45 PM
Hi Ewan,

And you have now passed the very first test in your journey. And you have done it in a magnanimous way.

You have learnt to listen to your own thoughts and feelings and ignore the mis-information and misguided comments of others who don't, won't or can't understand what you are going through. Irrespective of how much they love you. Love is supposedly unconditional. Whether you have two heads on your shoulder or one leg, or whatever else makes you different. You are gifted.

The power of your self talk cannot be underestimated. The better your self talk is the better your confidence, esteem and outlook will be. The opposite is also very true.

Surround yourself with positive and progressive people and nothing will be impossible for you.

Keep moving forward, you are doing a fabulous job.

Take on board what you have said about yourself and NEVER let it go for anyone or anything. You are staying true to yourself and you ARE worthy of love. Make it a Mantra if necessary and it will ooze out of every pore in your body. People will see it coming for miles, it'll be written all over your face. You won't need to tell them, they'll sense it, and look up to you.

Lotsa huggs
Catherine

you just showed me the most encouragement anyone ever has. from the deepest and most loving parts of my heart, thank you. i was very depressed and equally enraged for many years,but i am learning to stop the self judgment. thank you so much! i very much will make this a mantra! i will write it on my mirror where another mantra is!

I've been growing out my goatee and it's long and wavy, though not as much of either as I'd like yet.  Sometimes I get the inexplicable feeling that it makes my face more feminine.

I haven't been around these board much lately since I'm not struggling with gender anymore.  I might not have a simple, one-sentence explanation for it but I live without confusion or doubt, or too much worry about labels.

I've heard someone say that someone she saw in a dress with a beard looked liked a woman (in spite of said beard).

In my own experience as a male-bodied person presenting male, dresses tend to look better on me than tops/blouses (or maybe it is just in my head).  Also, I feel I look better with relatively short hair in these circumstances (right after a haircut, I sort of look like a stereotypical-lesbian who happens to be dressed up pretty, which is a pretty solid look).

If you can do what feels most correct (without worrying about the "gender" of the presentation as you put it together, or society's expectation for parts combining in a "conforming" manner), everything may turn out alright in the end.

Quote from: Ewan-Emma Morgaine on November 08, 2012, 10:24:52 PM
When I look at myself in the mirror and see my  long brown hair and scruffled face, this is when I feel most like myself. For some reason, seeing my stubble makes me actually connect more to my feminine nature. Does this make sense?

I feel similarly. With my flat chest and men's haircut, I feel much freer to explore my feminine side. I think it's because before I made those changes, I couldn't dress or act feminine without coming across as a cisnormative woman.

when I read your post it gives me a sense of hope that one day I will come to terms with an internal sense of duality within myself.
[/quote]

Thank you everyone for your stories and input! And to you DrillQuip, i know you will find peace! just keep loving you!

Being as I see myself as both Male and Female I know how hard it can be to find acceptance from both others and yourself.
finding that is a big step.  well done.  good luck on the next step of your journey whatever that might be.