I'm original, I'm authentic, so get over it.

It is the first of December.  It is four in the morning.  Having taken the last week off from writing, I was unsure what today's topic would be, but at two this morning I was wide awake, and all I could think about what authenticity, and what it meant to be an original me.

It was a weird night for sleep last night.  In fact, I'm not sure how much sleep I actually got.  It felt as though I was having an out of body experience.  Now in case you think I have gone off the deep end just relax.  What I was experiencing was a certain amount of anxiety, and why I don't know.  I kept thinking about all the things that I want to accomplish, all the things I feel lead to do, and all the things that the world needs me to bring forth.  I would ask myself why me?  Was I having delusions of grandeur?  I see all the others who have a message for the world and they appear to be doing well with it, so why should I think I can add anything to the mix?  It didn't take very long before I got hit beside the head and was forced to see things the way that God sees things.  I am what I am, and I am here right now because that is how God wanted it.  There is no need to worry about the timing of things, no need to worry about the others around me, and by no means should I worry about what I am doing.

This is the time of year when many people go into a slight depression.  The holidays are supposed to be a time of year where everyone gets along, where happiness overtakes fear, and where we administer peace on earth goodwill toward men.  That is what the holidays are supposed to be, but we all know that many people are unable to feel this way.  We have let the world dictate our feelings.  If we are unable to buy this or that, then we get depressed.  If we are unable to travel here or there, then we get depressed.  If we can't experience the joy of the season that is depicted in so many movies, then we get depressed.  Trust me, I have had my share of holiday depression, and it sucks.  I'm not sure that what I was feeling this morning at two a.m. was depression, but more like a warning.  I knew it was time to get up, write about being my authentic self, in the hopes that you begin to walk in your authentic, original selves as well.  Until such time as you can see your uniqueness, walk in that uniqueness, and accept your uniqueness, then I'm afraid to say that you will have to contend with issues of depression, fear, and a huge lack of holiday cheer.

Knowing who you are and accepting that your being here is not a mistake is the first step.  Once you can accept that you are not a mistake, that the world has not run past you and left you holding the bag, and that there is a purpose for your life, then you can begin to understand your originality and authenticity.  When we are forced to be something we are not, then it is impossible for anyone to see who they really are.  When we are expected to act a certain way then it is impossible for anyone to see who they really are.  When we allow others to define us, then it is impossible for you or anyone else for that matter to know who they really are.  We are original and authentic for a reason.  We are exactly who we were intended to be, so that we can do those things that were intended for us to do.  I was not put here to accomplish those things that was intended for the person down the street.  I was not sent here to be something I am not, and neither were you.  Authenticity and originality is what defines you, not what others say or think about you.

I long for a time when originality and authenticity are not things that are laughed at, but rather, they are things that people grab for, hope for, and ultimately walk in.  It's easy to be something you are not.  What is difficult is being who you are meant to be, even when that something is different, or not the Status Quo.  When you are not your authentic self, then you will always be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  There will always be something that is just a little bit off.  There will always be something just a little outside of your grasp.  Trying to gain those things that do not serve you, is like trying to reach for that gold ring, and knowing that once you grab it, it wasn't what you were looking for in the first place.  Authenticity and originality is what should define you.  Being the person who is not afraid to step out and be recognized for their own uniqueness.

If you can gain an appreciation for who you are, for what you are, and why you are here, then all the things you hope for will come to pass.  It is time to accept the authenticity of you.  It is time to boldly step out in your originality, and it is time to cast worry and fear aside.  When you are free to be yourself then you have gained the freedom to do what ever your heart desires.