Are You a Certificate of Authenticity?

Sometimes when you buy something such as a collectible item, you might also get a certificate of authenticity included. It basically verifies that your product or purchase is one of a kind or unique in some kind of way.

I thought about how being authentic relates to people. We are all unique as individuals. That's how we were made. But do we embrace our uniqueness or try to be something we're not? Do we like who we are or are we busy trying to keep up with the crowd?

Sadly we often pretend to be something we're not. We strive for the approval of others, thinking that we might be more accepted or liked. The problem with that is it can be a never-ending vicious circle because inevitably not everyone is going to necessarily like you. It's better to just be yourself.

I think back many years ago when I was dating a guy named Ken. For our first date, I invited him to a church outing with me. It was a dinner of some kind. For some reason, I felt the need to pretend that I wasn't hungry. I began picking over my food. Ken, on the other hand was eating like there was no tomorrow. I was being teased about my lack of appetite by those who knew my eating habits best.

Why did I feel the need to be something I was not, especially when my stomach was begging to be fed? I told myself that he wouldn't like me if he saw just how hearty my appetite could be. What a fake I was. I left hungry and disappointed with my behavior.

I learned from that youthful experience and vowed never to repeat it again.

How often do we let people mold us into what they want us to be? We feel obligated to succumb to peer pressure. There's really no satisfaction we gain because we feel miserable.

If people can't like and accept you for who you are then they are probably not someone that is needed in your life. Nothing is wrong with constructive criticism if there is something that needs to be addressed in a loving and caring manner.

But if you are changing to make someone accept you, let it go. And sometimes these pressures don't necessarily come from outside forces but from you.

Don't let others define who you are. You are a certificate of authenticity. And that makes you unique in your own special way.

Now here's to being you. No faking necessary.

SOURCE:

Personal Experience