Last summer my then 2-1/2 year old son Nathan was standing beside his twin sister Vivien as she rode on the mechanical horse at a local Mexican restaurant. As the horse began to move and the music started to play, Nathan bobbed his head and gyrated to the tune unaware of and unaffected by others around him. Behind Nathan was a young boy older than Nathan who was waiting with his family for their table. He gave Nathan an odd look as if he were thinking, “What are you doing?” Nathan never saw him, and I wished with all my heart he would never know the scrutiny of others and never feel like he had to conform to what was expected or “normal.”
Eventually, all of us become aware of how we look to others, and we make adjustments to fit in. In the process, we often lose a bit of ourselves in an attempt to be like everyone else. The problem is, none of us is like anyone else, and we were not created to be like anyone else. Even identical twins have physical differences and each twin has a unique personality. My wish for you and for myself in the New Year is to better connect with who we are and then present ourselves in a way that is an authentic reflection of it, regardless of others’ opinions (good and bad). Let’s stop making adjustments to our personalities, our manners and our dress that are not genuinely reflective of our values and our core being.
Let’s make a pact. You be you, and I’ll be me. No questions asked, no judgment. Deal? Happy New Year! Here’s to much joy, success, happiness and a lot less judgment of ourselves and of others in 2014. Much love to you all!