You are original. You are unique. You are God’s creation. You are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139:14, NIV). There is no one else on this earth who is quite like you.
But, all too often, we tend to pretend to be something we’re not to be accepted by our friends, to fit in, or to impress our colleagues or managers. By trying to be something we’re not, we tend to lose ourselves in the process. This is what I like to call ‘fakism’.
Fakism is actually a word and according to Urban Dictionary, ‘fakism’ is defined as “the act of being involved in a conversation or situation with one or more people in which they are being fake, phony, unreal, dishonest, and/or two-faced regarding a person or a personal attribute.” Therefore, a person may change the way they look, the way they talk, and the way they behave in order to be like everybody else.
But why waste your time and energy being fake? It can be so exhausting trying to be someone you’re not. It’s so much easier being yourself.
Here are three things that we can do, starting today, to be original and to feel better about ourselves.
Stop trying to impress people.
Very often we tend to dress a certain way or talk a certain way so that we can either fit in or impress others. When it comes to work, you have to follow the dress code and act in a professional manner, but outside of work, you should feel free to wear whatever you want and be comfortable with the way you speak. I’m not saying that you should use foul language or disrespect others, but stop worrying about what others may think about your accent or the way you speak. Stop trying to change who you are to please others. Just be yourself.
Don’t be afraid to share your opinions.
There is no rule that says that you have to like the same movies, or read the same books, or like the same foods. The next time you’re having a conversation with your friends, don’t be afraid to tell them that playing charades is not really your thing, or that you love Star Trek movies. Share what you like or don’t like about food, sports, or music. Be open about who you really are and what you like.
Spend more time with the people who let you be yourself.
You may have friends, family members or colleagues who you feel comfortable with because you are able to be yourself around them. It makes you feel good to express your opinions without the fear of being judged or misunderstood. So why not spend more time with people who make you feel good about yourself? The more time you spend with them will help you to develop the habit of being yourself.
You have been living a large part of your life pretending to be someone we’re not. Life is too short and we need to start living in a way that makes us happy. If we keep trying to dress a certain way or act a certain way to fit in or impress others, we will never be happy. Be yourself. Be proud of the person you are and work towards the person you want to become. And most importantly, dare to be original!
