Don’t Try To Be Perfect – Be Yourself

 Be yourself- not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

If you are looking to find perfection around in this little neck of the wood, you won’t find it here. My life is certainly not perfect and neither is it flawless. I once thought that it was possible. But later on I would find out that there is absolutely no such thing as someone being perfect. The closest that you will come to that is to just ‘be yourself.’

Be yourself even while you wait for your brokenness to be mended. Be yourself even when it hurts and you are bleeding in places that others don’t see.

Be yourself when the journey gets tough, the path gets crooked and life seems not to be dealing right with you. Even then define who you are and be yourself on your own terms, not someone else. Find your unique voice, your language and your own sense of style and stick with it.

No one should hate you for being yourself. And even if they do, it is far better for them to hate on you for who or what you are than to be loved by them for what you are not. God created you the way you are for reason. Every gift that He has equipped you with is for His purpose.

Refuse to settle for being a carbon copy just so you can fit in with the crowd. God created you an original and you are worth far more than a copy, rubies, diamond or gold.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

We are also familiar with these words from Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

I stand in agreement with both sentiments. You see, the world we live in, there are those who have made it their business through crafty devices to establish certain standards by which they expect everyone else to live by. And if you don’t fit into that standard then in their mind, you will not be successful.

Additionally, the internet, social media and television have infiltrated society to the extent that being yourself is slowly but surely becoming nothing more than a commonly used phrase in the history of advice.

Some still try to lead others to believe that thin is the in thing – that your body must be shaped a certain way, you must be a certain height or you must speak their language and say it a certain way.

But in the words of Mandy Hale,“Just be yourself. Let people see the real imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful and magical person that you are.” 

WAYS TO BE YOURSELF

1. Find who you are and define yourself using the word of God as your compass and your guide.
2. Sever ties with your past and by all means avoid being fixated on it.
3. An attitude can either be wrong or right but stop caring about how others percieve you, especially when you know that what you are doing is right.
4. Character is important so maintain honesty, integrity, openess and authenticity. You will make mistakes but don’t beat up on yourself, just be honest and speak truth at all times.
5. Avoid being so uptight and practice ways to keep you in a relaxed mode. Stop worrying about the things you have no control over, which by the way is most things, most of the time.
6. Be responsible for yourself and boost your own self-esteem. The Bible tells us how David often encouraged himself in the Lord. If no one is telling you wonderful things about you, do it for yourself. Tell yourself how woderful, beautiful and special you are.
7. Craft your own sense of style and individuality. It could be the clothes you wear, your hairstyle, makeup, your manner of speaking, or simply your way of getting things done. Even though it may be different from mainstream or what is considered norm, so long as the outcome is positive.
8. Don’t ever compare yourself to others. You are not a copy, you are an original. Craft your own individuality and sense of style and just be yourself. Trying to be someone else will only frustrate you and make you unhappy and miserable.

Read this also: The Only Thing Perfect In Church Is The Unadulterated Word

QUOTES ABOUT BE YOURSELF

• “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” ~ Bernard M. Baruch
• “Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.” ~ Judy Garland
• “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” ~ Maya Angelou
• “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” ~ Coco Chanel
• “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.” ~ Harvey Fierstein
• “About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won’t like you at all.” ~ Rita Mae Brown

Read also: A Priceless Treasure And Inspiration For A Lifetime

LET’S TALK..

Did you enjoy this post? What other quotes on ‘be yourself would you like to add to this list? Let’s hear your thoughts and share it with your friends and family.