Dare to be Yourself

Are you afraid to be the person that you really are? If so why? Most people will define themselves by the perceived reactions of others rather than their own individual accomplishments and abilities. Don't judge yourself by the actions of others. Many times other people have something to gain by putting you down and if you are not confident in your abilities you will fall prey to their devices. You are a unique individual and your uniqueness is what describes you.

One unhealthy sign is when people strive to be like other people. I have owned a retail business for many years and I could sense when a customer really didn't know what they wanted. Whenever I dealt with such a customer I would tell them to go home, think very carefully about what they want, and come back to see me when they made a decision. The reason that I did this is because I knew that they would not be satisfied regardless of whatever choice that they made. Typically this is the customer who keeps a product for a few days and returns wanting a refund.

My point for saying all of that is that people who are afraid to be themselves don't really know what they want out of life and can make life aggravating for themselves and other people. They fall into a self fulfilling prophecy and a downward spiral. The low self esteem that they have causes them to lose perspective of who they are and the lost perspective causes them to lose more esteem.

Being different may be the very thing that causes you to rise above the crowd. You may restrict yourself to mediocrity by not expressing your true persona. Your individuality is what sets you apart. Its good to have role models but it's unhealthy to try to pattern your self after them. You are your own person. There is no need for clones. There are things that you can do that no one else in the world can do. These are the things that you need to capitalize on. There was a man who was made famous because he laid on his back and painted the Cistine chapel. He did the thing that he could do that no one else could. There was another famous man who discovered the theory of relativity. He didn't ride in the rodeo because that was not his gift. Use your uniqueness for the benefit of the world. Some people can teach, some can tell stories, and some are humorous. Some people are athletes, some are deliverymen, and others are doctors, but all are necessary for this world to function.

Routine is necessary but routine can also be dangerous and limiting. The same things which can make us successful can serve to defeat us. The key is to know what is enough and not enough. We need order and discipline in our everyday lives but we are individuals. Do all have black hair? Do all have brown eyes? Do we all have the same personality? The answer to all of these questions is of course not. So lets just be what we are.

I like to watch old cowboy movies and one thing that I notice in each movie is this; when the cowboy ties his horse to a rail he never ties the rope in a knot. He simply wraps it around the post one time. I am always amazed that the horse never leaves the rail even though he is not really tied down. The horse is a victim of self limitation. He believes in his mind that he is tied so he never attempts to escape. Are you limited in your approach to life because you have tied an invisible knot to your mind? If your answer was no are you sure? We must rid our lives of psychological barriers. Let me tell you another story. I witnessed my two year old grandchild walk up to a dog which was barking, growling, and snapping at him for all that he was worth. I couldn't get to the child in time to stop him and witnessed as he walked right up to the dog and began to pet it. The dog just stood there and allowed it because he had just been beaten. I have since admonished the child that not all dogs are good but I think that he knew that to begin with. He just did not allow fear to dictate the way that he reacted. He obviously saw something that told him that he could safely pet the dog and he trusted his feelings over the sight of the angry dog.

On the other hand I saw a professional mugger once being interviewed on TV. The mugger admitted that each time he mugged a person he was probably just as afraid as the victim. Now don't be a mugger by any means but this just goes to show you how that mugger refused to allow his fear to be a limiting factor. Whatever you do in life just remember that it is OK to be yourself. The Good Life