Being yourself is not what you do, it's what you radiate

Hey all. Good to share with you again. I was thinking about the phrase 'be yourself' and how many people respond to it by buying a particular t-shirt they like, or following a group of people with similar ideas, or even listening to a particular kind of music.

However I have to bust your bubble--this is not being yourself! These things are to make a statement to the world who you are, and this is inherently faulty for two reasons--one, what do you need the approval of the world for to be you, and--two, there's nothing new under the sun; the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, the groups you hang with, are not entirely unique. Someone has done something like these things before; if you really look at human history, you'll discover that society now is essentially the same as it was back then in terms of the top telling the bottom what to do, and the bottom eating it up.

Being yourself is something that you know yourself to be. Sounds redundant, but it really isn't. The outside world doesn't determine who you are; it has influence over how you express who you are, but it never determines who you actually are. Who you are is something that radiates from within, regardless of what clothing you wear, group you hang with, music you listen to, etc. It is that thing that thing about you that you could never intellectualize or articulate, but you KNOW it.

I believe the world wouldn't be much different--in terms of how things look on the outside--if everyone had this awareness. The only difference is, it would be run much more efficiently and with much more empathy. If everyone knew who they were from within, they could do probably the same thing they're doing right now, but it would have a much more profound impact on the personal experience, and they wouldn't be fazed by soulless authority.

Therefore, make it a point to study yourself. Are you subscribing to something because you feel it defines you? Nothing truly defines you, because human beings are dynamic, ever-changing creatures. Behavior can't determine who you are. Trends don't reveal any clues. You just have to KNOW, and if you feel you don't, then take a breath, and begin to study what makes you feel the most alive and fulfilled in your life.* Not 'cool', not 'acceptable to others', I said 'alive and fulfilled'. The more you study that, the more you can understand who you are, and begin to radiate from within.

Peace,

GG

*I would say this is the only clue from your behavior that leads you toward revealing who you really are. But behavior without this focus is useless.

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