Just last night I witnessed an action from a someone I know very well that made me stop and say to myself “Why did they say that? That’s not them at all. That’s not the person I know.” And that’s when my mind got racing. That’s when I decided that a blog post was in order. That’s when I started to think about the fact that there are so many of us out there who struggle with staying true to themselves. Staying true to who they really are. Staying true to who GOD created them to be. It’s an insecurity thing. It’s a growth thing. It’s a self acceptance thing. It’s an “I’m afraid my friends or others will judge me, or make fun of me” thing. There are A LOT of things that go into why a person struggles with being themselves…with being who they REALLY are.
I will be the first to admit that I struggled with staying true to myself for a long time. I would find myself doing things that I wasn’t comfortable doing because they weren’t things I really wanted to do, but I did them because my friends or other people did. I would find myself saying things that would leave me feeling guilty and pathetic because those words weren’t my own…they were words spoken in order to fit in with friends or other people. I found myself constantly battling with who I KNEW deep down I really was, I KNEW deep down I really wanted to be…but I was afraid. I was afraid that others (whether they were friends or other people) would judge me or make fun of me. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be accepted. Then, the past year happened. Then, I FINALLY realized how exhausted I was. How tired I was from constantly trying to be someone I’m not. Of constantly trying to impress others. Of constantly worrying about what my friends or other people would think about me. I was TIRED! And it was at that moment of pure emotional and mental exhaustion that I realized that I was done. I was done trying to impress people and some of these “friends” of mine. I was done trying to be someone I’m not…someone I don’t even want to be. I was done being myself around a few close and dear people whom I love, but then trading that girl in for a stranger when I got around other people and “friends” who didn’t really know (or care to know) the real me. I was DONE. I was SO TIRED.
And then I realized something else.
One, I needed to back away from those “friends” whom I was constantly fearing judgement and mockery from.
Two, I grew closer to the friends who DID love me for me.
Three, I stopped worrying about impressing other people who weren’t even my friends…because guys, you look really uncomfortable and unnatural when you try to impress people by being someone else…and those people you are trying to impress can probably sense that.
And four, I FINALLY realized that I am accepted. I’ve been accepted this WHOLE TIME. And I’ve been accepted this WHOLE TIME by the only One who truly matters…the ONLY ONE Who’s acceptance matters. God. I am, and always have been, accepted by Him. He created me. He created me to be me. He created me to be who I REALLY am. He created me to be who HE wants me to be. And who He wants me to be is who I REALLY am…they go hand in hand. Guys, we all struggle with staying true to ourselves…some of us struggle a little longer than others, but at some point we ALL struggle with it. But just know that you don’t have to struggle anymore. Just know that there is someone who accepts you for EVERYTHING you are…who WANTS you to be true to yourself and no one else. God. God accepts you. God loves you. God will NEVER make fun of you being you. God will NEVER make you feel like you need to impress Him or sacrifice your true self in order to be friends with Him. GOD WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU. How awesome is that?
So today guys, I just simply encourage you to stop and think. Stop and think about whether or not you are in the middle of a battle with who you really are and who you’re trying to be for others. If you feel like you can’t be yourself around some of your friends, maybe it’s time to distance yourself from those “friends.” Or maybe you don’t need to distance yourself from these friends…maybe you just need to suck it up, be yourself and if they’re really your friends they’ll accept you and not judge you. Have you tried that yet? And when it comes to other people (work, events, social gatherings) who you don’t even consider friends, just be yourself. Period. End of story. Stop trying to impress others. Stop trying to be someone you KNOW you’re not. You are always more comfortable, more approachable and more successful in life when you are who you really are no matter what! Society may make you think otherwise, but God is trying to tell you the opposite. And since when did society’s opinion matter more than God’s? NEVER. So just stop and think. Think about everything I just said. Then think about this…think about how your Father up in Heaven loves you unconditionally. That God broke the mold when He created you. That God created you to be uniquely you…to be uniquely who He wants you to be. You’re already accepted. You’ve been accepted this WHOLE TIME. You’re accepted by the only One who’s acceptance matters. You’re accepted by the only One who accepts EVERYBODY. God. God loves you for you…now it’s time for you to start loving you for you.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1 Timothy 4:4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.
Poiema Girls 