I am…

‘The question who am I?’ is one that every individual seeks an answer to. Yet very few of us get an answer that satisfies us. However we all get tips on who we possibly can be, who we can aim to be, the individual that we aspire to be and the individuality that we allow ourselves to occasionally bloom. One thing is common to all of us; our realisation that we are not perfect. We are forever dissatisfied with who we are; we keep hoping to change into someone better but without having a clear idea of the person we want to metamorphosis into. Shockingly many a successful person, as judged by our yardstick of success, seem to suffer from this acute sense of not being perfect or good enough and many of them seek refuge in vices and in extreme cases suicide. Surprisingly if we just look around, it would hearten us to note that there are millions of people around us who despite the realisation that they are not perfect, still go about living a decent life and wake up each day with renewed hope and laughter. So what makes some people accept their imperfection whilst others find it difficult to adjust to their circumstances?

The key lies in the word acceptance. When we do not accept who we are, our constant endeavour is to depict ourselves as those we hope to be. Our measure of happiness suddenly changes from finding joy within to finding acceptance from others, which would mean chasing money, fame, appreciation at any cost. We move away from who we really are to who we want others to believe we are. As a result we create an excessive artificiality around us; be it in style, attitude, behaviour, persona or interactions. Over period of time we start believing in this artificiality we create, never realizing that we have now faked and fooled only ourselves. Despite having fame, wealth and a wide friends circle, if we still experience a chilling loneliness, a terrifying emptiness and a bewildering sadness, it would help to review one’s life and the values one stands for. We may soon being peeling of the layers of artificiality that we used to mask ourselves with, so as to gain acceptance from those around us.

Every morning when you wake up, go to the mirror and figure out the dishevelled individual staring back. Perhaps not a pretty picture, yet we would begin in earnest to make ourselves look more presentable and soon one feels more appreciative of the person staring back. This appreciation of the self comes from the knowledge that the person is alive, has no pretence and has the potential to be much better than what is seen. Add a smile to the face, get a prayer on the lips and a song in the heart to enjoy and revel in the wonders of a new day. Your imperfections, your weakness, your limitations and your apprehensions notwithstanding, there will be a spring in your step, hope in the heart and fire in the belly because that is the real you who appreciates his/ her individuality and makes no fake pretence to be any one else.

Try this:

Identify 3 types of attire you would be most uncomfortable in. Can you appreciate the reasons why you think you would be uncomfortable sporting those attires?

Which of these fake attitudes / behaviour would irritate you the most and why?

• Names dropping
• Talking with an accent
• Constant reference to branded products used by the individual
• Exaggerated display of possessions to draw attention to
• Frequent social networking updates with personal pictures and self promotional posts
• Constant one-upmanship talks or rebuttals pontificating superior knowledge
• Constant flattery especially of those in positions of power/ influence
• Pretending to be subservient or display of exaggerated modesty

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

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