Being yourself is the best thing you can do for the world. Seriously.
We live in challenging times to make radical decisions. It feels like it’s difficult realizing our visions when noticing the current state of the planet. On top of that, we tend to worry about what others would think of us if we were to turn our lives around.
The antidote to that, in my opinion, is in one of the most beautiful videos I’ve come across on YouTube. It contains wisdom from Marcus Aurelius applied to any personal or professional situation.
Here’s why being yourself is always a great idea:
True usefulness comes from being what you are. Think about a tree: its fruits and oxygen are a byproduct of it being itself. The same holds true for us. We do useful things by being ourselves.
As the video points out, attaching to what other people think of us stops us from being our true selves. When that attachment is constant, our personality transforms to please others and, therefore, we end up in a prison.
Think of the times when you stay quiet in a meeting for fear of being perceived as a “smart ass”. Or when you have an idea that can boost productivity in your workplace, but you don’t say anything because you feel your managers are going to turn you down. That’s a prison right there.
How would your world look like if you dared to be yourself?
I’ve got to confess: I’ve been in prison before. I had jobs that never satisfied me at a personal or at a professional level. My managers had expectations of my work, but I never aligned to them. I had different interests; however, I kept telling myself that I needed to find a way to adjust and think positive. It never worked. I was never able to unleash my creative potential the way I wanted to.
Breaking free was the best thing that happened to me. Now that I’m working on projects that matter to me, I feel I’m making sense of my own life. Nevertheless, I can see that a lot of people are craving changes in their lives or jobs, but they’re afraid to leave the place that has provided them with comfort.
Is it worth sacrificing your whole life for that kind of ‘security’? The answer unfolds as you pay attention to the things you pay attention to.