Grateful for the Courage to Be Myself

I am grateful for the courage to be me in any situation...to step up and face my fears and fully walk in my own shoes.

When we think of courage. it's often centered around a major feat of bravery, a heroic act. But everyday we each face the monumental task of just being...just being ourselves. The world around us pushes and pulls us in many directions, to the point of not always being sure what it means to be true to ourselves.

At an early age we learn to be people "pleasers." Infants learn that if they do certain things and respond in specific ways, the big people around them will smile or laugh, and even give them a big warm hug. And we begin the journey of taking actions to achieve the desired positive reactions in others.

Then there are the years where we learn to do anything to avoid ridicule and teasing. We don't want to be picked on and we work hard at trying not to stand out. We learn to conform to the perceived societal norms of our environment so we can fit in and be accepted.

Of course, there are always those who are so caught up in fighting against the "pleaser" mentality, they take steps to foster the opposite reaction. They are trying to get people to be shocked, angered, appalled, and incensed by what they have said or done.

In either case, the road to being true to yourself gets muddled. I suspect that many people have a hard time pinpointing the path of their true self. So I say, it is a remarkable thing to find the courage to be yourself...to undo the years of training we've received, in how to act, react, and function in our world.

I am grateful for the courage of being myself.

Be You...you are the only one set with the task of being YOU...and you certainly can do it better than anyone else. And I wish you the courage to do so.

This is day 27 of the Thirty Days of Gratitude.