Born to Stand Out

"It's okay to not fit in. You don't need to bend and break yourself to simply earn someone's acceptance. You don't need to spend all of your time doing something you don't even like to earn others' approval. Learn to be uniquely yourself instead. Remember that the only ones who ever changed history were the ones who dared to listen and act upon their own ideas. They might have been judged and criticized, but they dared listen to their own hearts and changed the world because of it. So be independent. Be bold... Because when it really comes down to it, the only person's acceptance you need is your own." ~Nikki Banas~

Good afternoon dear ones. When you were in high school what was important to you? Did you want good grades? Did you want to please your parents or teachers? Did you want to fit in with the popular crowd or stand out? When I was in school I didn't want to be popular, I didn't want to fit in to any one group, and I certainly didn't want to stand out. I remember wanting to be 'average'. I did want people to like me though, I cared a lot about what others thought of me. This stayed with me well into adulthood.

I left home at 17, got married at 18, had my first child at 20, second at 22 and I was divorced and back home by the time I was 28. In that time frame I lost so much of who I was because I wanted to 'fit in' and I changed myself and my desires to suit someone else's needs instead of looking to my own. I shoved who I was down deep to try and stay in part of someone else's world. When that world crumbled, I went on journey that led me to the darkest parts of myself before it brought me out to who I am today.

My loves, don't let someone else pull you away from who you are just to 'fit in' somewhere. The people who truly love you would not want you to be something you are not. Love is and always will be unconditional. If someone puts a condition on it, then it isn't love.

I'd like to leave you with one more quote that fits this theme - "Fitting in and belonging are not the same thing, and, in fact, fitting in gets in the way of belonging. Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn't require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are." ~Holley Gerth~

Take care of yourselves and each other. Be Kind, Be Peace, and Be Love. Never let a day go by without telling those you love how you feel. Yesterday is past and tomorrow isn't promised. Live and Love for today. - Live - Laugh - Love - Namaste