Gender Diaries: Shereen Jenkins

Originally published on Milk.xyz

Society has tried to condition our way of thinking to limit our minds from reaching their infinite potential.

We often find children as the most honest of all people, but as time passes the need to question and think creatively for ourselves gets repressed to basic terms and pre-conditioned thought patterns. Thus, restricting our natural intuition to know one's true self.

As I got ready for my first day of kindergarten my big sister helped me dress. She pulled out a pair of flared jeans with a flower top for me to put on and I immediately responded with disgust, "I'm not going to wear that, it's so girly!" What my big sister didn't know was that the next words to come out of her mouth helped prepare me to take on the world that was less understanding, "No one is going to like you if you go to school dressed like a boy!" She responded. I shrugged and continued to put on a pair of straight leg jeans with a t-shirt. She already had the imprint of what society deemed acceptable in her mind; being younger I hadn't been exposed to these so-called "limitations" quite yet.

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Pushing the boundaries to test my mind's infinite abilities and to find the truth within, I shaved my head during my sophomore year of high school. Imagine a beautiful woman walking into the barber shop and telling the barber she wants her head shaved. To say the least, he thought I was joking. As a woman, why must I be joking if I'd like to shave my head? Yet another limitation. From a young age I saw no difference in who I was regardless of the clothing I wore or the hair cut I preferred and whether that made you comfortable or not, I refused to let anyone's thoughts dictate how I chose to express myself. Outward appearance doesn't change any aspect of who I am as a soul walking the physical plane. I find comfort in creatively expressing my journey to self-love and by wearing clothing that I find appealing, whether it be from the men's section or women's. Why limit yourself?

If you consciously look at the media and dissect what you're digesting, you'll realize that everything drives you away from self to feel, act, and be a certain way chosen by an outer source of power. Every time you turn on your TV or get on social media what you see and hear subconsciously conditions your way of thinking. To be controlled without realization limits the mind into grasping only the more basic concepts of being and takes away from the unique aspects that each soul on earth has to offer. People are not born with intolerance, they're taught.

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As a society we need to release the limitations we've been holding ourselves and each other to evolve. Until one can understand how small materialism, money, and power are in comparison to eternal life there won't be growth within the mind. Each soul on earth has a divine feminine and a divine masculine that allows endless ways of self-expression for all. It's hilarious to think that a few pieces of cotton and a haircut could ever decide all that I am to some. Place whatever gender labels and judgments upon me that you wish but once you're finished I hope that you're able to go deeper within yourself allowing all that is as just that. There are no limitations except those created by self and accepting this concept creates peace within.