Why are we no longer inclined to be ourselves complete with flaws, quirks and the unmentionable? At what point have we as individuals lost sight of who we are? And when did being ourselves become something we need to discover?!
If you live for other people’s acceptance, you will die from their rejection.” – LeCrae
We live in a world where we are encouraged to “be yourself,” but it comes with a clause and fine print that states, “be yourself as long as it’s acceptable to others.”
Many of us are desperately seeking outside acceptance that leaves our true selves tucked on shelves and in closets, and when glimpses of who we are, show up, we flee in fear and fail to recognize our reflection.
Yes, social media is partly to blame as we tend to show the reels of our good days, deliberately skipping the bad. We seek the virtual kudos and pats on the back and translate them into the pinnacle of acceptance.
We hide behind the façade of “living our best life!” when in reality, our lives are coming undone at the seams.
But let’s take responsibility and acknowledge that it’s easier to pretend to be someone else than face the reality of who we are. When we strip away titles, jobs, material possessions, do we have the capacity to answer the question, “Who are you?”
For most of our lives, we have received narratives from teachers, bosses, family, friends and the media that messed up our reality. We have entirely lost sight of the essence of our individuality.
So what are you supposed to do now?
- Take an in-depth look inwards, as painful as it may be.
- Remove the dialogue of who THEY say you are and replace it with how you see yourself.
- Discover and embrace the center of who you are and didn’t know existed.
- Accept yourself as you are, the good, the bad and the ugly.
It won’t be easy, and the revelations won’t show themselves overnight. Brace yourself to lose people along the way, it’s inevitable, but in the midst of it all, you will find yourself and you will be happy you did!