I’m the type of person who likes to take cute, smiley photos like this…
…but I’m also the person to do stupid shit like this:
I’m a weirdo at heart, and anyone who really knows who I am also knows my affinity for all things weird–like feeling the need to lift my leg in the air in every other photo I take for no other reason than to ~spice up~ the photo.
But here’s the thing: a very small amount of people really know who I am; in fact, I can count the amount of people on one hand (possibly less…I’m bad at math).
And for those of you who read my blog post from two weeks ago, you’d know that this is something I am actively trying to change, even if it’s in small increments. I want to one day be my true self no matter who I’m around and feel nothing but comfortable and happy doing it instead of feeling judged for me being me, which is the current #struggle.
So on Sunday when I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about, the perfect quote popped onto my Facebook feed:
“Be so completely yourself that everyone feels safe to be themselves too.”
And that is when the metaphorical light bulb flickered on brightly in my head. It got me thinking about all of the times I had silently admired people who just didn’t have a care in the world about what other people thought of them (or, at least they didn’t let it show) and they lived their lives completely and unapologetically as themselves. They laughed out loud, they made weird faces, they joked, they danced in the streets, flailed without care, and spoke their mind. They openly complimented people, struck up conversations with complete strangers, and loved without caring if it was too much. And they seemed so content.
Now, this isn’t to say they don’t have skeletons in their closet. For all I knew, they could’ve had a whole graveyard of skeletons behind the scenes. But I felt as if the way they acted in those special, passing-by moments was authentic–it was how they would act in all situations, despite the emotion and feel of the situation.
And in those fleeting moments of authenticity, it made me feel this little fire that roared from my stomach to my heart and made my chest feel warm. You know that feeling–it’s the spark of inspiration, where something touches you so deeply in your soul so quickly that your whole body tingles with excitement for what’s to come. And what I wanted in those moments more than anything was to be just like those carefree humans. Hell, I wanted to be friends with those people–if they could be that comfortable as themselves in front of complete strangers, I felt like I could be my whole self in front of them too.
When I came across this quote yesterday, it was like another revelation. I had always wanted to be myself, and I had always relished in those special moments with authentic strangers, but I hadn’t connected the dots to what it all meant. Being yourself doesn’t just benefit your own soul; you also put other people at ease. You inspire them to be like you, even if it’s just planting a little seed in their mind to help grow the thought of authenticity. You create a safe, comfortable environment, free of all judgments and open to all things weird and true. What’s more beautiful than that?
When in doubt of choosing whether to conform to your environment and the people around you or to be yourself wholly and completely, always choose to be yourself. Do it for your own sake first, but remember the effect you can have on the space and the people around you. You may not realize it, but you may have a secret admirer in the room wanting to be themselves just like you but who are scared to actually do it. Go ahead–show them how to shine, and create that spark of inspiration in their stomach. In the end, that’s how the journey to becoming yourself really begins.
So in the (hopefully near) future, if you see me in public with my leg in the air and pulling goofy faces, don’t mind me–just know it’s me doin’ me. Feel free to join. All legs and faces are welcome. 🙂
TESS CARCALDI 