Have the courage to be yourself
After downloading several affirmations off of Wayne Dyer’s website, one of them really caught my attention. Basically, one “excuse” that may stop you from doing something is, “There will be family drama.” The affirmation that combats this excuse is, “I would rather be loathed for who I am than to be loved for who I am not.”
Are we comfortable with being loathed for who we are? My personal goal is to become so at ease with who I am, that I am easily able to stand up for my beliefs, no matter what type of gossip or sneers may come my way. We should not only stand up for our beliefs from a vocal standpoint, we should have the courage to live out our beliefs without the fear of being shunned by anyone.
I have had a problem with this in the past, partly because of my upbringing. You see, my grandmother was a great inspiration in my life—she still is. However, she came from a generation that cared greatly about appearances. She would always tell me if I can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. She cared so much about how she appeared to everyone, so she always tried to stay exactly in line with the popular culture of the small town we lived in. I have tried to live my life in accordance to her guidance, but I have gotten to a point to where I feel I am just too “different” from the popular culture. So I can either conform so I can be accepted as a “normal” person by society, or I can free myself from the concerns of how I appear to others—I can be my true self. My grandmother meant well, and I love her for her kind words, but it is time for me to start thinking about what is best for me in my life. I am now 35 years old, and I am ready for a shift in my thoughts.
If we think about this from a greater standpoint, from the standpoint of the Source, or God, we can see that to be confined to the restrictions of roles or behavior accepted by popular culture would be doing ourselves a great disservice! Throughout history, there have been many brave women and men who have stood up and made a stand for their beliefs, even though they faced persecution.
I am not even talking about standing up and making great speeches about a topic you are passionate about—although that would be great, too. I am mainly referring in this writing to everyday living. Let us not shrink away from truly being who we were created to be, no matter how it fits in with the popular culture of the day. Be an individual—be your true self.
I love what you are saying here, encouraging and straight to the point. I’ve come to similar realizations in the past couple years. It’s amazing how life changes when being yourSelf. Thank you for sharing your voice with us. Peace.
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