Richard Wright once said, “Man can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as from a lack of bread. Knowing who you are is not only the essence of being human but also a vital property of life. Knowing yourself, what you like and dislike is highly important and it is what makes you unique. They often say that some people have not yet found themselves. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates. And this is where people fall into the wrong direction.
Many people accept themselves for WHAT they are but don’t really know WHO they are and therefore portray themselves as different characters. They hide behind sunglasses; posing to be someone they’re not. Antone de Saint Exupery said, “Living is being born slowly. It would be a little too easy if we could borrow ready-made souls.” Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry and their passions, a quotation.
My father always tells me, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. Almost every person wastes a part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep.
I once knew a girl named Tia. All her life she had been looking for something and everywhere she went, she impersonated a celebrity. She was looking for herself and masqueraded as everyone except herself. It took her a long time to achieve a realization. Finally, it hit her in the face that each person is unique and everyone appears to have been born with: “I am nobody but myself.”
So, throw the sunglasses away. Don’t be in a rush. Let your heart guide you. Remember, life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself. Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget your...