Be True To You

WE CONSTANTLY WORRY ABOUT what sort of an impression we are making on others. We are concerned about how we look, or whether we are saying or doing the right thing. What the hell for? Who cares? We don’t need to impress anyone. We don’t need to be anything other than who we truly are.

We are obsessed with trying to fulfill what we think are other people’s expectations of us, which just drives us to distraction. It doesn’t make any sense, for even when we succeed at creating the right look, social status, image or whatever it is we are trying to achieve, most people don’t take one bit of notice of our charade.

They are too preoccupied with their own self image and presenting a suitable impression of themselves to us that they don’t give a stuff about our pretense. So why do we bother? All our efforts to impress others can be traced back to our utterly vain attempt to prove that we are someone we are not. 

 “There will always be someone better than you and there will always be someone worse than you, but there will never be someone quite like you.”

Sometimes we hold back our true feelings because we want something.... applause, love, appreciation, company, the list goes on, or we force ourselves to smile and laugh at the unfunny comments and actions of others because we’re afraid we will be ostracized if we don’t.

*Vernon Howard once said, “Man has a false sense of identity. He thinks he is his false self, which he is not. He is his True Self, but doesn't know it.” Our preoccupation with the person we think we are has diverted us from realizing who we truly are. We are not this person who craves and demands attention and applause.

Have the courage to be disliked if necessary by ceasing to be who you’re not. Once we stop trying to be someone we’re not we will feel freedom, a freedom that allows us to truly experience life to its fullest without the weight of expectation holding us back. Life is indeed a wondrous miracle, and so are we...

Dan’s Quote: “The greatest mental prison people live in,
______________is the fear of what other people think of us.”

*Vernon Howard is the founder of ‘A New Life’ Foundation.
Header: Henley Beach ‘Adelaide’ South Australia.