Immerse Yourself in Who You Are (Not Who You Wish You Were) To Become All That You Can

In whatever we choose to do in life we should try to be “who we are” because everyone else is already taken.  As individuals we tend to blend into the environment in which we work (play or live) and support the ideas expressed by those around us (to minimize conflict and confrontation) rather than intentionally expressing our own opinions, grasping our individual options or taking the “road less traveled.”  If we truly lived as if we were “comfortable in our own skin” would we be in any better (or worse) shape than trying to fill the expectations that others have in terms of how we should think, act or feel?  Would the world be different if we lived in more of a “what you see is what you get” place (tempered by appropriateness and acceptable moral/ethical standards) rather than the somewhat guarded face we typically present when interacting with others?  If we were to transform the tolerance we begrudgingly demonstrate when others are “not like us” in thoughts, actions, appearances or values into unconditional acceptance, would the world become a better place in which we could live, work and thrive?  If we could be more comfortable with who we are – readily exhibiting our strengths, acknowledging our shortcomings and intentionally acting to leverage what we do well in order to bring about positive change – might we more readily embrace the similarities and accept the differences of those around us (rather than obsessing on and about the differences BECAUSE we prefer people to be “like us”)? 

Accepting “who we are” does not imply we need not change.  An individual must change as their environment changes and adapt when something that once worked is no longer effective – we are not static points within a sedentary world.  Life “happens” and we must anticipate, respond and react to the challenges it presents.  Expressing “who you are” today does not mean you should be the same tomorrow – nor does it assume you are the same as you were yesterday.  It means we should accept our skills, abilities, values, ethics, standards and persona as they express themselves today – within the conditions, environment and circumstances we face – so we can build upon them while moving towards a better tomorrow.  We should never accept progress as being an end result nor should we discount the steps we take towards a new beginning (which can easily happen if we focus on the ends rather than the means).  We can learn from the experience of others but should not claim (nor settle for) their success as our own nor seek...nor avoid potential personal failure by accepting that what has been achieved by another is all that could be accomplished by anyone.  Much growth (and great reward) can come from building upon the efforts of another and potentially exposing ourselves to failure by allowing ourselves to experience personal risk, overcome shortcomings or defeats and share the “credit” with others.  Growth and discovery comes only when one is courageous enough to expand upon established reality to uncover new ways of doing things, meet people once thought unreachable and discover new possibilities beyond the known and proven probabilities.  While we can emulate those we respect – who have accomplished things we may not have yet imagined – we should never reject who we truly are by seeking to become someone (or something) that already exists.  Seek to make that which exists (and has yet to be discovered) within your own unbridled imagination a potential destination rather than a possible pitfall.

To become all that we can be we must first accept all that we are (and acknowledge but not necessarily accept all that we ARE NOT) so we can move beyond the limitations of our present abilities into a world of limitless possibilities.  We cannot fulfill our own potential when we are busy immersing ourselves in our proven and accomplished success.  When we dwell upon what we have we do not have time to consider what we want or need.  Rather than focusing on what others might have that we do not we would be better served to carefully weigh our true needs (rather than our “wants”) before taking intentional action to bring to fruition those things (thoughts, goals, dreams, relationships,  or objectives) that are truly important, critical or significant.  When we truly accept ourselves as being able to initiate change (while recognizing, understanding and acknowledging there are some things we are not yet able to accomplish) – refusing to be content with what we have or where we are in life (until we have done all that is possible to fulfill our unrealized potential) – we will discover that “being ourselves” is a good thing. 

We must never stop learning from our successes (and our failings), never stop growing from “wins” (as well as our “losses”) and never stay down after falling (or avoid the fall at any cost to avoid failure) - RATHER we should focus our energies on picking ourselves up to continue moving forward or seek alternative paths that might provide new and different perspectives.  ONLY when we are able to find comfort in “who” and “what” we are (rather than seeking recognition and comfort in the accomplishments of another or basking in their success) will we be able to let others be who they are (because we are OK with who we are becoming) and, more importantly, will we be able to accept who WE ARE rather than who we might someday, somewhere, somehow become (knowing that we are OK now and intentionally moving through each chapter of our lives as we move towards an ever-evolving destination.