What must I do is all that concerns me---not what people think. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own---but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Many times we are like chameleons, changing colors to please others. We may hide our true feelings and pretend to be happy and content, not wanting to hurt someone close. Chameleons survive becaue they are adept at hiding from predators. We may feel we are living well when we hide our true feelings. Yet who is seeing the real side of us? Aren't we ignoring our needs and making someone else's more important? Today we may have changed colors to please others. But we dont have to be chameleons. There are no predators out there---only people, just like us. Their thoughts and feelings may be different from ours, but that's okay. We all have our own brilliant colors to show.
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I have beautiful colors to show off. Tonight, I'll remind myself that I do not need to hide.
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"Never argue with an idiot... They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience..."
A wonderful teacher said to me yesterday "Imagine dressing exactly as I wished, saying everything I wanted to, doing what felt right for me, being who I wanted to be..........all without the fear of what someone else thought. What a freeing thought.
Sometimes my light shines brilliantly, sometimes I get angry and say things. Either way, I am willing to be me. Always mindful I can make no one feel anything, and they can not make me feel anything. We choose as we go.
Thanks for the reminder.
Jo-Anne
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I granted myself the gift of sobriety and found my spirit.
So true, Jo. Thank you for the feedback. It is so very freeing to be who we are, not having to people please, or worry about everyone but ourselves. Sometimes, we just have to stay a bit firm to keep anyone else from frightening us into that mask we had on for so long. For me, never again. Kind of a like it or lump it attitude? without going out of my way to hurt.
Words can heal, or they can scald. I try to lean towards the healing, as long as I'm not compromising myself and my own values. If I scald? It isn't on purpose, but then again, it's also not on me if someone else over reacts. I didn't get sober to please others, so no reason to live my life for that, either. Yes, that is how we shine... Hugs, Chris
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"Never argue with an idiot... They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience..."
