To be or not to be, that is the question!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/littledruga/4276332419

When faced with uncertain odds, are you still willing to be yourself?  When what you do or who you are is contrary to mainstream thinking, are you still willing to be who you know you are?  When others mock and ridicule you for your quirkiness, are you still willing to show the world what you are made of?  These are the questions that I and others ask each and every day and with each day you are required to take a stand and hold true to who and what you are.

Let's add an element of truth today: most of us would like to say we will remain true to self, but in reality it is sometimes the most difficult if not seemingly impossible thing to do. This is very much the case when you are facing a constant stream of "you're nuts", "you're insane", or my favorite, "God, what's with you?".

Most of us can remember those young kids when we were in grade school who seemed to walk to the beat of a different drum.  The clothes they wore were different, and much more than just making a fashion statement.  Their actions were a little off center, and maybe even classified as odd.  We would make fun of them, if for no other reason then to fit in well with the others who were also making life miserable for this person who dared to go against the norm.  Most of us have watched the movie where the nerd who never ever made it to the cool table in the lunch room has now blossomed into this gorgeous person and has discovered the formula for success and is very much walking in it.  Is this end result something we would call justice?  The dweeb gets the girl, the loaner gets the success, and the jock, star player is now some hack who is someone else's lackey.  I'm not saying that everyone will fall into one of these categories, but what is certain is that many of us have forgotten what it is like to be ourselves without regard to what others think, say, or expect.

Once again, lets be truthful, sometimes it's easier to roll with the punches than to stand there and take them head on.  I've been there and I've morphed into someone I was not because I so desperately wanted to fit in, or at least feel as though I was part of the cool table in the lunchroom.

Being true to self is not always easy, and at times we question our own sanity as to whether it is worth in in the long run.  The bottom line is that it is always worth it to be yourself and to show others who you are.  Ralph Waldo Emerson said this, "A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist."  What have you given up when you give into the pressure to become or to be something you are not?    Your quirks, your uniqueness, your differences are what make you who you are, and if you are unable to own these things you will forever be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  It is time to take what and who you are and show the world that you fit perfectly into the world just as you are right now.

We have created a generation of robots.  If you want to be successful you must act this way.  If you want to fit it then you have to wear this and say that.  If you ever want any hope of running with the in crowd then you had better change your ways and get with the program.  Let me ask you this, has getting with the program ever gotten you to where you really want to be, doing the things that you really want to do?  I refuse to become just part of the status quo, because quite frankly, the status quo has done nothing to help me along my journey to discovering and walking in my destiny.

Certainly there are characteristics in others that I admire and at times will try to emulate, but that is only because these characteristics are based on helping others and not just helping self.  I've tried to do things like others do things, but in the end, it was not who I was and it certainly wasn't what I was designed to do.  Maybe my resume is full of accomplishments, but to be honest, none of my past accomplishments can even compare to the thrill of what I am doing right now.  For the first time in my life I am where I need to be, doing what I need to be doing.  I am no longer moved by what others expect of me, but by what I expect of me.  I desire to walk in my destiny, even if that destiny is something that others cannot understand.  I know what it is like to want to fit in, but I also know what it is like to be my own person and walking in my own destiny.

Will you be true to your own calling?  Will you reject the will of others for the security of walking in your intended purpose?  Yes we can continue to try to jam that square peg into the little round hole, but it will not be perfect, and your destiny, along with your abilities and personality are perfectly matched.  No longer should one change a thing in order to create change in the world.  Let us accept the differences in people and come to the understanding that differences are necessary if we want to step forward and take up our call, be in our place, and live our own life.  Destiny awaits those who dare to be different.  Maybe I'm an odd duck, but the world has been fashioned by odd ducks, and the sooner you can step out and be who you were created to be, the sooner the world will benefit from all your quirkiness, oddities, and simply marvelous qualities that make you who you are.  After all, it's who you are that I want to see, not what others think you should be.