Obviously, the vast majority of our population will say "How I look to myself," shaking their head as if you asked them to fly in the sky like an eagle. Obviously, the vast majority of us do not want to admit even an ounce of care to what others may think...why would that matter to us?
And obviously, we know the vast majority of our population are really not wanting others to know how we really want or seek their approval so much so, we sacrifice good taste for the ability to be liked.
I am not the most callous of people. Of course I care how I look to others. If I didn't I probably wouldn't wake up each morning, comb my hair, put makeup on, and hope that my jeans make me appear thin. But that is not as important to me as wanting to leave the house with what is my own person best foot forward. That may mean I had little sleep, and for my own little pick-me-up I wear eye shadow. Pretty shallow, and I am doing this for myself to feel better.
There are many times in my life where I have been embarrassed. I am the consummate clumsy person. I have big feet, long legs, and even at the age of 34 I have not become accustomed to my body sometimes. I have fallen down stairs at my place of work, while out with friends, while at the beach with the guy I am dating (while his mom and her husband looked on), down a mountain while at a camp in 9th grade...pretty much everywhere. My main thought is to bounce, roll, and get up...the quicker you get up the less likely someone saw it...and the less likely you are to react the less likely others are too. I work in an environment almost completely foreign to me...thank God for Google to look up terms as people are talking to me. I am goofy at times, sensitive, and sometimes need to have my hand held if having a bad day...but this is all part of who I am.
I cannot change these facts about me; no amount of dance class would have given me a graceful walk, and the best way to learn what I do not know is, well, to learn - to have the thought to venture out on a limb and ask for help or look something up. Those things which I do have the ability to change, those moments within grasp of my control, I attempt to do so with gusto.
I see this daily with my 13 year old. At the age of 13 she wants people to like her, wants to be everyone's friend, and fit in. At this age, that is completely normal. She is learning about herself, how the world works, differences between socially acceptable platforms on which to stand, and what may actually be the right platform to live her life by. If she is continuing this quest for acceptance 10 years from now, I will have cause for worry. And for every teen struggling, this is the lesson for you to learn...for every adult - why haven't you gotten this yet?
I may not be the next great professor, scientist, doctor, or even performer...I may only do great things in my own home for those I love instead of changing the world as a whole. My mind may not be as brilliant as Albert Einstein, but I may have other gifts to offer this world that others were unable to offer...that is what being yourself is all about. My desire is to change the lives of those I know for the better, and through my actions they are able to pass this along is my goal. Learning through curiosity, living with veracity, knowing when it is good to seek another's opinions, and when it is better to go with your heart - that is when you start to discover who you are, what you are, and what you have to offer.
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