I will always be what I say, is a “recovering perfectionist”. I spent most of my entire life chasing perfection, so it’s not always so easy to completely stop chasing the unrealistic ideal that is perfection.
For my mental health modules, I enjoy getting feedback, but also cringe every time I get an email telling me someone filled out the survey. I reluctantly open all the good and bad comments and try my best to make the changes people ask for.
The one I just read suggested that I, “be less corny”. I shouldn’t take that too much to heart, since I know myself that I am corny (so corny that I almost wrote corn-dog, and now I’m laughing at myself). But sometimes comments like that eat away at my sense of self.
But then this is my reminder, and I hope a reminder for you too, that not everyone is going to like you. We fixate on those people who don’t like our personality too much, we try to change who we are so they will like us, rather than accepting who we are and letting those people who appreciate who we are, come to us. It is truly one of the most beautiful acts of rebellion, to look society in the face and instead of molding into expectations, you stay true to who you are. If I update the modules to be less corny, that person may now like me, but others may say I was too boring. So you never truly win by trying to change yourself for someone else. It’s so, so much better and so much more freeing to just be yourself.
So to that person who told me I was too corny, I appreciate your feedback. But for me to be less corny, would mean for me to be less of who I am. And I spent my entire life being less of who I am, and it wasn’t fun. Being who I am, and fully embracing every moment, is so much more enjoyable, so much more free, and so much more full of laughter.
So I encourage you to be who you are. Because no matter what you try and change about yourself, there will always be someone who does not like you. And that is okay. Instead of trying to please everyone else, enjoy who you are, know that you are uniquely made, in your beautiful, silly, messy, quirky or serious ways. You are you. And even if someone doesn’t like you, like yourself, enjoy yourself, and find strength and peace in the fact that you are amazing exactly as you are.
Cheers to forever making corny jokes, and knowing that those who enjoy my sense of humor, will stick around. So if that’s been you, I appreciate you.
I’ve found who I am and I choose to be me. It’s the most beautiful journey I’ve ever been on.
Xo,