Life can be full of challenges. One of the biggest challenges of all is finding the courage to be yourself. You are going to face people that want you to believe the way they believe, do things the way they do. These people will not necessarily be strangers, they can be family members and close friends. You may even be ridiculed if you do not conform to their standards.
No one likes to be made fun of, no one likes to be the “odd man out”. The problem with conforming to the standards of others is that you are not being true to yourself. You are the one you have to face each morning. You have to live with the choices and decisions you make. It takes a whole lot of courage and conviction to simply be yourself in spite of other people.
Know yourself
Sit down and ponder who you are for a while. What do you like? What do you not like? What do you believe? These questions probably will not be completely answered in a couple of hours, let alone a short lifetime.
The point of this exercise is to get in touch with the real you. Not the tough you that wears a brave face in front of friends. Not the silly you that laughs at the not so funny comedian because everyone else is laughing. The real you, the one that might be scared of crickets or cries at weddings and thinks dry humor is a riot. Think about who you really are.
Love yourself
Once you start learning about yourself, it is important to realize that you are great, flaws and all. It’s okay if you don’t like neon colors or when the wind blows. It’s okay if you enjoy drinking coffee at dawn in your favorite fuzzy slippers.
The point is to learn to accept and love all of your quirks. Those quirks make up a unique and fantastic person; you! Accepting and loving yourself will give you self-confidence. That self-confidence will shine through to other people like a bright beacon. Some people will be drawn to you and some people will not. It doesn’t matter if everyone loves you as long as you love yourself.
Solemn promise
The next vital step is to make a promise to yourself to always be true. Be true to your heart, mind, and soul. Don’t waste precious time living life for other people. They have their own inner battles. Promise yourself you will take care of yourself. No one else can do these things for you.
Promise to be kind and patient with yourself. You are human and will make mistakes. Do not let anyone put you down or belittle you for being yourself. Do not let anyone try and change you into someone you are not.
Live life
A life lived for others is a life wasted. What this means in this instance is that by trying to always fit in with people around you, you are missing out on your own life experiences! So what if some people don’t like you? Th
ere are people that will like you and love you for the unique person you are.
Not many people love copycats. That is really what you are when you try and conform to what people want you to be. It is fine to share beliefs with others but not at the expense of losing your own true identity. Live your life for yourself and enjoy it.
Once you realize you cannot live your life for other people, it becomes easier to accept who you really are inside. There is no one else on the planet just like you. You do not need the approval of everyone you meet. The only approval that matters is your own.
Take the time to get to know yourself. When you figure out who you are and how wonderful you are, it is easy to love yourself. Make a promise to honor and be true to who you are. Then you can live in happiness and without fear of ridicule.
