"Be Yourself"

I believe the bravest thing a person can do is be themselves. To face any and all opposition.

With that being said, this is easier said than done.

But what does the statement “Be Yourself” even mean? To get to that meaning let’s first determine where you might have seen or heard this message.

At the base level, you might have seen this on posters along the hallways of your Elementary school. Or even ads, shows, and movies with similar themes. Maybe those closest to you or even a stranger in passing may have given you this advice.

Either way, in one form or another you have probably seen that phrase somewhere. Now the meaning behind that has to come from the context of the situation. Marketing or message those people want to illustrate. And they all relatively, I mean I think we can say, come from good intentions.

Personally, I have never heard a speech about being yourself and the speaker has a frown on their face. But that’s just me (please I have such dry humor).

While these good-hearted messages are floating through the consciousness’ of the collective there’s also a sub layer just below that. You see there’s almost like those life size cardboard cutouts that you can stand behind. With a face cut out.

And behind the cutout is like an old-style Looney Tunes villain. Rubbing their hands together mischievously and grinning. I know a theatrical illustration, but the message is still there. And that would be the status quo.

You see “Be yourself” fails to include the latter half of the statement. “Be yourself so long as you do not stray from the normal.” Now, I would like to say again, context is key.  Obviously (or at least I hope) your cute grandma probably isn’t saying this to be mean. And other situations apply too, of course. All in all, they want you to be happy.

And everyone wants that or at least have their own version of happiness. There’s freedom in the center of that warm, glowing feeling.

This whole blog, website, will be an ongoing exploration of what “Be Yourself” means to me. And I hope for you too. This has been a journey I took up roughly three years ago after a well terrible long-term relationship.

Everything seemed to fall apart. I moved out quickly of the apartment we were staying at and back in with my parents. On top of figuring out the new job at a clinic (I still have the same job currently—I know I feel the same!). That I had acquired barely two weeks before the breakup. I also had my other job as well at a retail store. To say the least, I was absolutely exhausted by the time I managed to pack everything up and get moved in.

***Holy crow. I just reread my previous paragraph and wow I have done a lot. Cliche as it sounds, I hope others will look back on their journeys and feel the same way. ***

All my life I’ve been spiritually inclined (to which I will discuss later for another post. The early parts of my childhood.) but in most of the relationship I had tuned out of Spirit. He was not all that spiritually inclined, except for a few things. At that point he knew some of the things that I did. Like, burning incense, candle magic, and a little bit here and there.  And until the latter half of the relationship when I gradually just started accepting little truths about my path.

Fast track to the first few months of living with my parents, I jumped at the chance to attend a few full moon meditations at a yoga studio. It was pleasant. We meditated while she played her sound bowls. On one particular meditation that happened she was asking what we wanted. Like, really wanted. So, I dedicated my energy to becoming my true self.

The chasm I have come to find as the deepest part of myself-- that I had

no idea even existed—wasn’t even the foundation. Like a glacier, I have yet to find all parts of myself.  Now there may be parts of myself I may never discover, put a name to, or even understand. And that’s okay. I don’t believe everything needs to be understood to be appreciated.

I will hopefully talk more in depth about the topics I’ve touched on here. I have so many things I want to say and explain. All things with time, I’ve come to realize very cheesily (I doubt that’s a word ngl) that time really does heal. But not in a way where you completely forgive or forget any of it. Just that you’ve made your peace with it. It is all that really matters.

Because at the end of the day when you lie in the dark, about to go to sleep, only you can define what that means. Someone’s expectations of what “Be Yourself” means should not define you and what you know to be true.

Well, this is my first blog on my website. Woof! Like, hell yeah! I did that! took me longer than I would like it to, I mumble. XD

Tehehe Hopefully, these entries will be less y'know 'article' material.

I'll see y'all soon :D

Song inspo: Bobby by Reba, Messy Lola Young, In my daughter’s eyes by: Martina McBride (2-9-25) Defying Gravity by: Wicked Soundtrack (2-20-25), Island by Miley Cyrus (3-5-25)