The Struggle To Be Real

… and it is a struggle indeed. When people tell me I am authentic and they are still hanging around me, it hits me for one. I feel incredibly happy and at peace. When people tell me ‘just be yourself’ it sets me free and allows me to soar, I smile sheepishly and it is like ‘you mean I can really be me, operate as me and deal as me?’ And you will still like me and be my friend and still love me? I feel like I am in heaven already. The peace, joy, liberty, childlike carefree release that comes with strutting our stuff in our very own skin is the very best of bliss known to human being. I never cease to be amazed by the carriage of animals, the ease with which they navigate their world without appearing to feel the need to be something else other than what they are.

Human are such interesting species, the amount of energy, effort, money and time we spend (or maybe waste will be a better use of word) on presenting ourselves as what we are not is staggering. The struggle is real, the cry is true, the need is undeniable. We all want to be accepted, the longing for acceptance is the holy grail of our longings and we erroneously assume that the more we change, adjust and move away from our innant nature the more likely we are to acquire the elusive commodity of acceptance. It is saddening to see the torture and torment some people subject their physical bodies to in the name of acceptance. I am one for grooming and presenting oneself in the best possible way, I also endorse and subscribe to personal improvement but at what stage are we crossing the line and loosing the plot altogether? I have seen people change their whole manner, presentation, behaviour not in the name of improvement but for conformity and to pursue acceptance. That, my friend, makes no sense to me, people that will not accept us as we are, will not accept us if we try to conform and if they do, then that being that is accepted is not truly who we are.

Rejection is one of the hardest thing for a human soul to tolerate. But the nature of life is that no single man has universal appeal and from time to time each and every one of us will have to partake of this unpleasant pill, atimes some of us will have to swallow more of it than we feel is necessary. The truth is none of it is necessary but the fact is, necessary or not, it comes to us and we have to take it. At the point of rejection, the struggle starts, rather than accept the rejection as part of life and living, the temptation comes, we want to be accepted at whatever cost and we commence the fruitless journey of losing our authenticity and began the metamorphosis into ‘only God knows what’ . An unnecessary journey in my opinion. Ours will accept us and those that do not belong in our camp, do not belong.

Having done all to stand, we must stand, having done all to be, we must be, let’s all be real, let us swing through life in our authentic self, rejection or acceptance, let us not sway from who we truly are. To be able to do this, we must invest in self acceptance first and foremost. We must all find a way to tell ourself and believe it, that we are good as we come, not perfect, no man is perfect, but we are good, you are good, I am good, so be real! Put off the act, swing as you!

Stay good! Stay you!