Kripa Kandel Parajuli
West Hartford, Connecticut
We are human beings. We all have things that we are passionate about and things we stand for. There are certain things that we’d never change. Yet somehow, when we are around a group of people who think differently than we do, we begin to question ourselves, we begin to teeter back and forth. What do we think of what others think? All of a sudden, the ground in which we stand becomes somewhat shaky as peer pressure starts mounting
It is so easy to stand firm when there is no one around to question your stances. Sticking to your guns becomes hard when you are confronted and asked to explain why you think the way you think. It is much more comfortable to become a chameleon and change who you are to suit your surroundings. Having to endure comments on how different you are can be rather painful, but trying to fool those around you into thinking you are more like them never works. You only end up fooling yourself.
Staying true to yourself may be uncomfortable at times, but the rewards are always worth it. The guilt that comes from knowing you tried to hide who you really are can become unbearable when you are finally alone again and have time to reflect on your actions. The feeling of worthlessness that can creep in will only tear you down even more. The emotions that come from realizing that you felt they were better than you so you had to be more like them has a way of crushing your confidence into grains of pity.
Leave the chameleon costume inside the closet and embrace yourself with admiration. Yes, you are different and that is what makes you THE YOU. You are fabulous. You are Unique. You are Special. Above all, you are You. Never cover that up. Let it shine like a bright sun. Let others see what you have to offer, and who knows, you may even see a few chameleons peeping up to resemble you.
Be yourself in both sunshine and rain. That is what makes you a TRUE YOU. We just represent the body which is not even ours, so why, why hide the true you?????
