Epilogue
Now that you know what it takes to be yourself, you must begin doing, feeling, and being. All this reading, working, and thinking does no good if you do not begin putting into action what you have learned. You need to begin feeling each day, every day, more and more. Openness to feeling. Openness to being. Openness to yourself.
People can tell you all sorts of positive things and support you in all sorts of ways, but if you do not believe in yourself, you are stuck. You need to take the step of being yourself. You need to believe in yourself. No amount of belief from others will do; it is you, and that is all it must be. I can say this no stronger, for the next step is yours to take. Love yourself. No one else can do so as completely as yourself. Only you are you.
When the wind blows hard and the leaves surrounding you fly away, you will be left alone to face the wind. Give to yourself the love now that will steady you in times of storm. Give to yourself your feelings so that a whole person will be there standing in the tempests of life.