Be Awesome: Be Yourself

As a blogger, a professional, and just as a human, I find myself constantly comparing myself to others. It's a truly nasty habit, and one I've been unsuccessfully trying to break most of my life. I need constant reminders.

I'm different, and that's awesome! I know a lot about Harry Potter, and as a Ravenclaw, I will feel compelled to share that knowledge. I geek out about music. I will talk for twenty minutes in a bar about how Prince's "When Doves Cry" is an awesomely epic pop song and deserves your respect. I like to listen to smart people talk, especially about how and why they created their art. People who don't read books are utterly incomprehensible to me. I know the foxtrot, the charleston, the tango, and tae kwon do. None of this is normal, but it's me, and most days, I love that.

There's only one me, and there's only one you. That's exactly how it should be. That pressure to fit in never goes away 100%. The nagging thought that you could be more successful if you were just more normal will always be hanging around. I know some people who are fantastically self-actualized. I admire them so much! But I think most of us are still full of insecurities.

Today, let's be our most awesome selves. Let's be unapologetically proud of the things we're in to. If you like to take pictures of the food you cooked, then write about it on the internet, don't let people's crazy open-mouthed stares make you hesitate for one second. Be yourself. It's who you were born to be.

The more days we can spend being in love with life, the better life is for everyone. That happiness extends beyond our known reach. Be yourself. Critics be damned. You are awesome!