How many times did you try to be something you were not and you failed? How many sleepless nights and endless days did you spend creating an image of a hypothetical self, a better self who would have made a better decision than the one you took, who would have been braver, more beautiful, hoping that somewhere, just maybe, there was a version of you that was everything you were not?
The digital era encourages comparison, urges us to keep up with other people’s expectations and lifestyles , makes us think we are not enough and leaves us aspiring to look and feel something that is simply not real.
“Comparison is the thief of joy” said Theodore Roosevelt and so is following others , creating a life not for yourself , pushing you further and further away from your own reality.
Take a deep dive into yourself , find your whole messy self , embrace it , own it and make it your hero. Don’t become someone else’s idea of you or even more so, your distorted idea of you, otherwise the outcome would be a vulnerable and misshapen creation haunted by your unfulfilled dreams and desires.
Don’t get stuck between who you are, who you wish you were and who everybody thinks you should be. You are unique and nothing is more beautiful and powerful than authenticity.
If at first glance the entire process may appear too overwhelming, look again , always look again , find your own unique story and allow yourself to bloom despite all those voices that have taught you to believe you never would.
It is a work in progress but for sure your future self will thank you for this.
Lastly I want to share a quote, by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, which inspired me to write this article.
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you”
