I know we've been told time and time again that we should never try to be like others, that we should embrace our true selves. This is completely true, but it doesn't take away from the fact that in life we have role models who we can learn from. It's completely okay, and even beneficial, to learn from the experiences and triumphs of others. The problem arises not from finding inspiration from another's accomplishments, but rather from attempting to become exactly like them. We are all unique, we think and experience the world in drastically different ways and this influences who we become. The beauty of diverse experience is that it equips us with different viewpoints to the same situation, our uniqueness allows us to offer up a perspective unthought of, it allows us to empathise with those we relate to.
I've had to understand that I am a very flawed person, but I've also had to accept that some aspects of my character - although perceived as flaws by those around me - are just who I am. Why must I force myself to act in a way that I know is just not me? I know being respectful of how your attitude impacts others is important, but you should also give yourself the space you need to be who you are and trust that people will love you for it - the right people of course. Yes I know my fear of social spaces is an area that I need to work on, but my natural temperament of gravitating towards private spaces is also a reality I must accept. Life requires me to push out of my comfort zone and be in spaces I find inconvenient but I will not give in to the lie that my default setting is a flaw. This is a very basic example, the issues surrounding this topic are often more complex than this but the truth underpinning it remains the same. Let go of counterfeits - remain who you are but just work towards becoming a better version of yourself. If you are naturally outgoing, carry on, just learn how to respect other's in the process. If you are quite a laid back person, keep your chill attitude, just know when to step up your game. Not every aspect of our character that doesn't conform to the cultural norm is a flaw.
Appreciate yourself, don't get lost in the act of trying to be someone else. Let go of counterfeits.
