It’s OK to be yourself
I don’t think people are supposed to fit into society. Fitting in means embracing norms and stereotypes and not embracing who we truly are, but instead forcing ourselves to fit a mold that people are comfortable with. I say this from firsthand experience. When I was fitting into greater society, people loved me, but I absolutely hated myself. I hated myself so much that I’d engage in activities that would only make me hate myself more.
I have nothing against people who go out and have a good time, but why are most people going out, drinking, smoking, and having sex with people they don’t truly know? Is it because it’s fun or is it because of something else? Far too many of us are doing things unconsciously because it’s what people do, but what if we were more conscious about our actions… would we still engage in the same activities, or would we do things differently?
It’s sad to say, but I believe that most people don’t know who they truly are; I know I didn’t. I thought I was supposed to strive for certain accolades and material items because that was the only way for me to feel any sort of acceptance — from society. And that’s the thing, most of us are trying to be and do something for other people-not ourselves. We think that if others don’t accept us, then we are doomed. What many of us have forgotten — as a result of our upbringings, our ignorance, our parents’ ignorance, our ancestors’ ignorance — is that we are always loved, regardless of what others may think of us. There is an infinite source through which we are all connected, and that source is ONLY good and is that of pure love. From birth and through our own personal experiences, we are equipped with all the necessary tools to accomplish whatever mission we are destined to fulfill. When something seems too hard for us to do, it is probably because we’re not supposed to do it.
It feels like I’ve lived a thousand lifetimes in the span of 25 years. I’m clearly exaggerating, but my point is that I’ve tried to do so many things that just weren’t for me. I tried my hand at careers that people thought were respectable, and then also tried my hand at careers that people thought were not as respectable. At the crux of what I was doing was trying to do things based on people accepting it, or totally rejecting it (because my ego enjoyed being a rebel). Speaking of ego; we all have an ego, but we don’t have to succumb to it running the show. My ego was making it difficult for me to let go and let God. It was making it so that I would get myself into these crazy situations, just so that I could see myself as some sort of victim and give myself a reason to complain about the “unfairness” of life.
The ego always wants to attach itself to an identity, even if that identity is keeping us in a place that we don’t want to be in. It identifies with the thoughts of our minds, rather than detaches. The ego can’t live in the now because it always wants to know what’s going to happen next, as well as how things are going to happen. The ego can’t be still, because in stillness is when the ego realizes that it has no power. While we have an ego, we need to become consciously aware of that ego, else we lose ourselves in all the external things that seek to control us through our unconscious awareness. When we are unconscious, we get ourselves into tons of unnecessary trouble, and then somehow find ways to blame other people… Life is funny that way.
But what if this generation finally decided to do the inner work on a massive level, and stopped giving away its power to governments, corporations, our parents, our friends…what would our world look like then? What if we dared to find out who we are and what makes us special, rather than what would give us the most clout? Would people strive to be millionaires, billionaires, trillionaires? Or would people finally decide to just BE their true selves?
I leave you with these questions, but please know… it’s OK to be yourself!
Originally published at https://cultured.substack.com.
