“Nothing can be against you other than your perception. If you want to be an authentic being – give in!” ~Michael Bernard Beckwith, Spiritual Leader at Agape International Spiritual Center
When you were in high school were you part of the “in” crowd? Did you do things that didn’t feel authentic to you, just to avoid rejection and shame? Do you still do things that are unnatural to you, for fear of losing love? It’s very common for humans to want to be accepted. It’s only natural to want to love and be loved. Compromising becomes a problem when someone consistently pretends to be something that they’re not.
You are a unique individual. You’re here to express thoughts, feelings and actions that can only come from you. It might feel important to ignore your strange qualities and quarks in order to be accepted. But, your entire being is lost when you do this. Your unique expression disappears the instant you ignore your true self and become a follower.
You Are A Unique Individual
There is an individuality to us all. We are not bumble bees all working for the queen bee. We are not robots. In fact, the mere mention of such an existence is an instant turn off. Think about the people whom you admire most. I bet there is something about this person that makes them stand out from the crowd. Many great people in history stood up to societal beliefs. Discoveries and inventions come from a place of questioning. Nothing new can come from everyone trying to be like everyone else. How would our world be different had (Albert Einstein, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, etc.) chosen to “fit in” rather than be their authentic self?
You too can be a hero to the people around you by simply being authentic. Become aware of who you really are. When faced with choices that cause an internal conflict of being your true self vs. fitting in – decide to be who you really are. People will admire you. You’ll inspire others to be genuine. You will be a sigh of relief in a confusing, troubled world. You’ll make discoveries about yourself that may surprise you. You will benefit more from being authentic, than you will from being submissive and gaining a fake acceptance after choosing to fit in.