ontheedgeofeverything

My sister has a decorative sign that reads “Be yourself. The world will adjust,” and because this statement resonates with me so deeply, I wanted to delve into it a bit further.

We’ve all seen and heard cliche statements similar to the one on my sister’s sign, but I question whether or not we’re truly taking in the meaning of exclamations such as these. In a society that continuously encourages us to be someone, or something, that we’re not, it’s never been more important to adhere to your personal beliefs and conduct yourself in a manner that reflects the beliefs that make you, you.

It can be daunting to lower our guards and present ourselves in a truly raw and genuine way, without any efforts to conceal who, or what we are. We worry that we will be judged, rejected, or scrutinized, and often times hide key components of our identities in an attempt to be socially accepted.

My question is, why? Why are we so scared to simply be ourselves? I believe this fear stems from years and years of social conditioning to look and act a certain way, however, moulds are meant to be broken. And, it’s perfectly okay to be who you really are unapologetically. Honestly, what is the worst that can happen? Perhaps we will encounter ridicule, negative remarks and criticism, but as the saying on my sister’s sign reads, the world will adjust.

In being unable to be ourselves around others, we are perpetuating the dangerous and aggressive belief that we cannot be accepted unless we appeal to the expectations and criteria orchestrated by strangers. And, really, what’s the fun in that? Dye your hair lime green. Get that nose piercing. Share your goofy sense of humour with others.

At the end of the day, it’s best to be yourself. Besides, everyone else is already taken.

Photo on <a href=”https://visualhunt.com/re3/bd755448″>VisualHunt.com</a&gt;