How different would the world be if each individual fully expressed their individuality? People are great at judging others based on their expectations. They will see, hear and understand the pieces of you that match with what they want to see, hear and understand. In an attempt to suit these expectations, people become imitations as they strip their uniqueness.
But maybe unique is only ever temporary. After all, we are continuously influenced by everything we experience and this makes it difficult to preserve originality.
Or is it really that difficult?
The importance of being yourself
It’s so important to maintain who you are. Many people hold a tight grip on who they really are because they want to be identified in a certain way. Let go. Do whatever you have to do to be yourself. People will have a limited amount of approved adjectives for you such as smart or successful or sensible or normal; don’t give them an opportunity to label you though. You decide which adjectives you want to use to describe yourself.
Seeking approval because you’re worried about others forming negative judgements about you will steal what could be ingenious and fun from your life. If someone centres their opinion of you on what they expect without even getting to know your personality first, then it’s up to them to reform their opinions, it’s not up to you. You shouldn’t feel obliged to change yourself to conform to expectations. Free yourself from any cages built for you by others and use every bit of power inside you to become who you are destined to be. Don’t limit your potential; make the most of you.
Here is a poem I wrote which may encourage you to practice self-love:
Self Indulgence of Intimacy
He. She. WE want to be loved
For someone we’re not, we’d rather be lovedThan face rejection for being who we truly are.
So you too dance amongst the masquerade, from your true self you wander afar,
Pretending then slowly becoming…don’t let that mask define you though.
With gold at both ends, the self is a rainbow
And it should be cherished. Self esteem cuts to the essence of being yourself; it’s not just a feel good entity,
Let go and allow a self indulgence of intimacy.For who we sincerely are, we yearn to be loved.
He. She. WE want to be loved.
Every one of us has a spark of remarkability within ourselves that makes us different from every other living being. That spark should be contributed to the world. Be yourself.
Life is brief
We drown out opportunities with the noise of fear or worry or self-consciousness. For example, has there ever been a moment when you’ve wanted to speak to someone but lacked courage? How many times have you really wanted to do something but stopped yourself from doing it? Some of those moments could have held something great for you but you’ll never know that now because they’ve passed, they’re gone forever. Why do we let such chances escape unnoticed and neglected? You know that there is an end to your life so you should cling to each moment. Too often, too many of us merely exist; we don’t live. We unconsciously assume that the next moment has more importance than this one which is why a lot of us aren’t fully present in the now.
Why do you need to capture the present?
Lift yourself out of your comfort zone and risk the uncomfortable. If there’s someone you want to talk to or if you’ve been meaning to do something for ages, stop thinking too much and go and do it. The worst that could happen is potential awkwardness or rejection but so what? Accept rejection and sadness and happiness and just let all the emotions be there; that’s living. Grab the now with both hands.
Putting things off provides temporary comfort but failing to act on your impulses leaves you with permanent regret. Your instincts and your motivations might not always be right but they don’t lie so you should trust them. Why should we go through life wishing we had followed our hearts? “If only”, “what if?” – you shouldn’t have to utter these words. Go after what you want otherwise don’t expect to have it; you’ll be standing in the same place if you don’t step forward. By renting your moments out to a later time, you’re only cheating yourself of today and today runs through our fingers as quickly as sand; that today you wasted becomes yesterday and then you miss your whole life. Be brave and believe in yourself because you’re capable of accomplishing what you set your mind to.
This is your time to live. Savour it and live without boundaries or apologies.
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