I am not perfect.

We like to talk about "authentic leadership." What does it take to live with authenticity?

One essential element is a degree of self-awareness. For us, that self-awareness originates in understanding our identity in Christ. Thankfully, you don't have to be perfect to be ready for influence.

Check out this amazing story that's too good to stay in the archives!

I'm not perfect, and it took me a really long time to realize this, even after I'd become a Christian. Growing up, I learned and accomplished most things very easily, and as I got older, people started to point these things out to me. 

So I felt like I had to live up to this expectation of a perfect child who could do everything perfectly without messing up. Now, trying to live this life of perfection is impossible, but I felt like I had to be this perfect girl just to please everybody.

As the years went by, I started to change who I was. I changed my personality, my appearance, and my character just for people. 

No one knew who Catherine Blackmore was. I didn't know who she was. 

A few months ago I was doing school at my kitchen table, when, all of a sudden I felt the weight of everything I had done, the perfection I had tried to live and the person I had tried to be just come crashing on my shoulders. So I ran to my mom, grabbed her, went to my room, and broke down. 

I was tired of trying to be perfect. I was tired of trying to be fake. I was tired of trying to please other people. 

When I finished telling my mom all of this, she gave me one piece of advice. She said, "talk to God about it." So I did.

The next morning I prayed to God. It was a simple, broken prayer spoken by a sinful, imperfect girl. But it was the first time that I had ever felt free. 

I am not perfect, and I never will be. But I have found my significance. I have found my identity, and it is with Jesus Christ. 

Catherine Blackmore // ICC alum // January 2014