Being Yourself

DISGUISES WE ALL WEAR THEM

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DISGUISES IS OUR DAILY WISDOM WORD TODAY, AND ITS MEANING IS A VERY IMPORTANT WORD.  WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A DISGUISE? 

WEBSTER DEFINITION-GIVE OR CONCEAL ONE (ONESELF) A DIFFERENT APPEARANCE IN ORDER TO PROTECT ONE’S IDENTITY.  

DAILY WISDOM WORD DEFINITION OF DISGUISES-MASKS WE WEAR IN ORDER TO HIDE WHO WE ARE AS A PROTECTIVE MECHANISM.

WE ALL WEAR DISGUISES FROM TIME TO TIME.  YOU PROBABLY WEAR ONE AND DO NOT EVEN REALIZE IT.  WE HIDE WHO WE ARE.  WHY DO WE DO THIS BECOMES OUR DISCUSSION TODAY.  THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHY WE WEAR DISGUISES.  1. TO PROTECT OUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS. 2.  HIDE A PART OF YOU THAT MIGHT BE VIEWED BY THE OTHER PERSON YOU INTERACT WITH AS A CHARACTER FLAW.  3.  CONCEAL THE TRUTH WHEN WE DON’T FEEL SAFE TO SHARE IT.  4.  AN INITIAL REACTION FOR MOST PEOPLE IS TO WEAR A DISGUISE WHEN FIRST MEETING SOMEONE.  5.  WE ARE AFRAID OF HOW OUR ACTIONS WILL BE VIEWED BY OTHERS.  6.  LACK OF SELF CONFIDENCE. 7.  FEAR OF JUDGEMENT BY ANOTHER. 

DISGUISES ARE COMMON FOR US BECAUSE OVERALL, WE SIMPLY DON’T FEEL SAFE SHARING WHO WE REALLY ARE.  I AM NOT SAYING WE ALL SHOULD NOT HAVE SECRETS.  I AM NOT SAYING WE TELL OUR LIFE STORY WHEN WE FIRST MEET SOMEONE.  HOWEVER, DISGUISES HAVE GOTTEN WAY TOO COMMON.  WHY DO WE HAVE TO MOLD OURSELVES TO FIT WITH OTHERS? 

WHY CAN’T WE JUST BE. WHO WE ARE?  THIS IS OUR ISSUE, NOT THEIRS.  MANY TIMES, WE “ASSUME” HOW ANOTHER VIEWS WHO WE ARE AND WE ARE NOT CORRECT.  MANY TIMES I HAVE MISJUDGED WHO ANOTHER PERSON IS INSIDE THE HEART AND SOUL.  IT HAS COST ME MANY POTENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MY LIFE I COULD HAVE HAD.  IT HAS ALSO SAVED ME FROM GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THE WRONG PERSON.  THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO HANDLE THIS, HOWEVER.  WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE HONEST ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE FEEL TO OTHERS WE ARE CONNECTING WITH.  

IT IS TIME FOR US TO SHED OUR DISGUISES.  IF WE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND SOMEONE, THERE VERY WELL MAY BE AN INSTINCTUAL REACTION TO THIS PERSON AND YOU SHOULD BACK OFF.  IT IS OKAY, HOWEVER TO SIMPLY “NOT ENGAGE” AND BE HONEST.  TELL ANOTHER PERSON YOU DON’T WISH TO CONTINUE COMMUNICATING WITH THE REASON WHY IN THE KINDEST WAY POSSIBLE.  WE ALL WEAR DISGUISES FROM TIME TO TIME.  PERHAPS, IT IS TIME TO TAKE OFF THE MASKS.  I AM NOT REFERRING TO OUR PROTECTIVE MASKS WE NEED TO WEAR JUST IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING.  

IT IS OKAY TO BE EXACTLY HOW GOD MADE YOU TO BE.  IT IS OKAY OVER TIME TO LET DOWN YOUR GUARD WITH THE RIGHT PERSON YOU CAN HAVE A LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH OF ANY KIND.  IT IS OKAY SIMPLY TO BE YOURSELF.  IF THE OTHER PERSON CAN’T ACCEPT YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE, PART OF LOVING YOURSELF IS PUTTING THE PROBLEM EXACTLY WHERE IT IT BELONGS:  ON THE OTHER PERSON, DUE TO THE MASK THEY WEAR.  STOP HIDING.  START BEING MORE DIRECT.  BE KIND, BUT HONEST, AND MOST OF ALL, SIMPLY BE WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE.  

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING TODAY!  HAVE A BLESSED DAY!  JOIN OUR WRITERS COMMUNITY AT DAILYWISDOMWORDS.COM.  YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY YOU JOINED.  YOU ARE ABLE TO CREATE A PROFILE OF YOU AND YOUR WORK WITHOUT A DISGUISE.  IT IS SAFE TO SEND A FRIEND REQUEST TO ANOTHER AUTHOR OR POET AND CONNECT THROUGH PUBLIC OR PRIVATE MESSAGING.  YOU WILL LOVE OUR WRITING EXERCISES DISGUISED AS POETRY PROMPTS, WRITING PROMPTS, MUSIC PROMPTS WITH LIVE HOSTS TO SHARE ON TWITTER OR FACEBOOK DIRECTLY FROM YOUR PROFILE.

 WE OFFER COUNSELING FOR WRITER’S BLOCK AND ANY OTHER ISSUE YOU MAY HAVE INCLUDING THIS ONE THROUGH A MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE.  THEY CAN DIRECT YOU TO THE RIGHT PLACE IF NEEDED.  MEMBERS FIND THIS SO HELPFUL AND YOU GET TO SET THE TERMS.  THIS IS PRIVATE COUNSELING VIA EMAIL OR A PHONE CALL.  THINK ABOUT THIS POST TODAY.  BENEATH IT, IS A PLACE TO COMMENT ON WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT DISGUISES OR ANYTHING YOU WISH.  DON’T KEEP WEARING A DISGUISE.  IF YOU FEEL LIKE LEAVING A COMMENT, DO SO!  WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  PERHAPS YOUR COMMENT WILL BE THE ONE THAT STARTS A DISCUSSION WITH SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO WITNESS ANOTHER’S STRENGTH TO STEP FORWARD WITH THEIRS.  

SAMANTHA LEBOEUF/DAILY WISDOM WORDS

 

 

Being Yourself vs Conforming

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“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”
-Oscar Wilde

Who am I? And who are you?

Depending on the context of the questions above, one could come up with multitude of answers and/or follow-up questions. Are we talking our identities? Our personalities? Or our respective professions?

One of the most common ideologies which self-help gurus, motivational speakers and life coaches preach is to be yourself.

But what exactly does that entail?

If we act one way at work, another way with friends and another way at a black-tie dinner, are pretending to be people we’re not? Or are we simply channeling appropriate aspects of our personalities befitting the occasion?

Personally, I think it’s more of the latter than the former. Much like life experiences, we all have various aspects of our personalities hidden away.

For example, we all have a little good and a little bad within ourselves. It’s up to us to decide which side we project more. If we project more good than bad, we’re respectable citizens. If it’s the other way around, we’re criminals.

Somewhere along the way, however, there has been a perception of conflict lingering between being yourself and conforming to society.

For example, if we go to a formal occasion, we must dress appropriately. Personally, I don’t see that as conforming in any way even if my preferred attire is usually more casual on a broader level.

I see it more as respecting the environment I’m in. If I go to a wedding wearing a tuxedo when I generally prefer to wear jeans and a t-shirt, I’m respecting the wedding and the bride and the groom.

And that point of view extends itself to adapting your demeanor as well. If you’re at a funeral, it’s best to remain low-key and subtle even if you’re generally a more emphatic person.

And even while doing so, it need not be an act. It can still be channeled from within.

According to me, acting a certain way in a distinctive environment doesn’t always have to go against your self-respect or make you feel like you’re compromising.

Much like an actor intrepreting a role, it’s a blend of your own personality and the environment.

But one thing is for sure, acting or dressing a certain way does not always equating to being someone else.

What does being yourself mean to you? Are you one way with everyone or molding yourself to the surrounding company? If you do mold yourself, do you consider it a compromise? Share your thoughts by commenting below.