Earlier this morning I found an article online and I started to read it while trying
to eventually get my work done after an entire weekend slacking and leading a
revolution based on the importance to stop and find time for myself. As this
article caught my attention and I got further in the reading I was like “wait a
minute… I feel like she is talking about me right now…”
The title of this article was “Becoming the person you were meant to be: where to start” from Oprah 's website. I found it deep and as a “blogger” I wanted to share my personal insight of this article with you.
The title of this article was “Becoming the person you were meant to be: where to start” from Oprah 's website. I found it deep and as a “blogger” I wanted to share my personal insight of this article with you.
You know how when we are kids we have those delusional, big
projects and life expectations that motivate us to grow older and pursue our
dreams so that one day we can identify ourselves to it. I mean when I was a
kid, I wanted to be a superhero and save the world… boy I wish there was a
school for that but anyway…I did everything I could to get as close as I could to that ideal
I had when I was a child: always trying to be the one saving the situations,
fighting when someone was messing up with my siblings or a good friend,
standing up for people younger or weaker than me who couldn’t defend
themselves. Not that I had the strength to do so, but because that was what I
wanted to identify myself to, I wanted to be a superhero and save people, save
the world.
But then I grew up and everything changed. I found out that
reality was different, that people changed and that my ideal of being a
superhero was not matching what my life was looking like as the years passed: a
total mess.
I wasn’t able to know where I wanted to go, what I wanted to become at some point because I didn’t know who I was anymore! People were expecting me to be strong, to behave, to act like people of my age, of my gender. They just expected me to be like anyone should be: close to perfection. And I fell for that!! I caught myself living for what people wanted me to be and not actually for what I wanted to be and become for my own very, sacred and selfish happiness (yes I just said that: own very, sacred and selfish!!!!)
I wasn’t able to know where I wanted to go, what I wanted to become at some point because I didn’t know who I was anymore! People were expecting me to be strong, to behave, to act like people of my age, of my gender. They just expected me to be like anyone should be: close to perfection. And I fell for that!! I caught myself living for what people wanted me to be and not actually for what I wanted to be and become for my own very, sacred and selfish happiness (yes I just said that: own very, sacred and selfish!!!!)
I had changed inside but people still saw me the same way they
used to see me when I was a kid because I didn’t show them I had changed! I didn’t want them to judge the new me, I was afraid
of people being judgmental. I was trying to find all kind of excuses to delay the
emergence of that new me. However, deep inside I knew the very reason I was
doing that: I was afraid because I didn’t know what was hiding behind all those
changes. Which battles I would have to get into? Which challenges I would have
to face? Deep inside I knew I wasn’t that strong kid I used to be, that would
stand up for people I cared about. So then where would I find the strength to let
all those secret changes come out and how would this affect the image people
had of me?
Well one day I was just tired of living in the skin of that
almost-perfect personage my environment created for me, offered me and which I
accepted saying “thank you” with a large, perfect, nice and polite smile
(because once again it is what they expected me to do and I did it because I
thought it was the way it was supposed to be). So I decided to make a change: I would try
something GOOD (emphasis on GOOD), not necessarily
conventional, and compare it to something in the same context that I do. Then I
will decide which one fit me best and keep it permanently in my life. Let me
explain…
Since I was a kid I was told that I needed to do my homework
as soon as I get home from school. When I was in high school well guess what?
it didn’t really work well for me because I was the first one to get on the
school bus (around 6 am) and the last on to get off (around 7 pm). I had to
wake up early, I had long and heavy days and when I was on my way home, the three
things I could only think about were: shower, dinner, bed.
And usually, since I was sleeping early, I would wake up in
the middle of the night and do my homework. Within weeks I started to realize
that I was more efficient when I was working by night than during the day. I
was getting my work done faster because I wasn’t distracted as a result I was
getting ahead in whatever other things I had to do. I liked it, it was a good,
not conventional change but it improved my grades and I was happy with it. I
was unusual for my parents but eventually they got used to it when they saw the results on my
grade (I mean which parents wouldn’t be happy to see their kids come back home
with the almost perfect report card?)
It is a small change that I still have as an habit until today
although it is not working as well as it was years ago because we are getting
older, and we have more stuff to do and so on… So by bringing small, positive
changes like this one and turning them into habits around, I didn’t have a
clear idea of who I wanted to become yet, but I knew who I didn’t want to
become. It helped me in the process of
shaping and defining my very own personality.
Are you happy with your life? Are you who you want to
be or what people want you to be? Who do you think you are? It all start by
knowing who you are not and who you don’t want to be, by simply bringing small, positive changes
that will make you feel happier, more confident in standing for who you are
with fierceness and boldness.
Before going back to my pile of paperwork (wishing to eventually be done by my deadline… yeah I know I didn’t seem to care that much yesterday), I want you to try this: pick a small, positive change you want to see in your life and try it. You go to a restaurant people are taking the “usual” but you like something else TRY IT! Even though someone says “I already tried, it it’s not good”, do it! just for yourself to be able to make your own opinion about that food.
Like bright colors but people say you look better in darker shades? Pick a day and put on those pair of cute, hot pink flats you have been scared to try on because of people’s apprehension about your choices.
Anything that means something to you in your process of figuring out who you are, try it and see how it works for you.
Before going back to my pile of paperwork (wishing to eventually be done by my deadline… yeah I know I didn’t seem to care that much yesterday), I want you to try this: pick a small, positive change you want to see in your life and try it. You go to a restaurant people are taking the “usual” but you like something else TRY IT! Even though someone says “I already tried, it it’s not good”, do it! just for yourself to be able to make your own opinion about that food.
Like bright colors but people say you look better in darker shades? Pick a day and put on those pair of cute, hot pink flats you have been scared to try on because of people’s apprehension about your choices.
Anything that means something to you in your process of figuring out who you are, try it and see how it works for you.
So go out, dare to be different, to be unique, to have your own
personality, dare to be you and not what people expect you to be.
Be First to Post Comment !
Post a Comment