On Individual Expression

 

Being yourself is the hardest and most beautiful thing you can be.

 

You may experience ridicule or gentle mocking even from people who profess to care about you, because you stand up on your own.

 

But you have to.

 

Being yourself is the most important thing you can do.

 

It is your gift to the world.

 

You offer more by your presence than you do by trying your best to fit into society’s norm. Of course, there are ideas and community structures that you believe in and support. Yet in all aspects, your ability to think for yourself and to thus act (whether it is by speaking, a deed you perform, or your act of silence) is your right as an individual, as a free-thinking person, and as a citizen of not only your country, but of the world.

 

Yes the world is full of a myriad of people, cultures, habitats, and landscapes and yes, it can be quite overwhelming at times. People need stability and something to unite them and to feel a common kinship. There are times when it may appear that silence is best, and other times when speaking up for what you believe in, seems most important.

 

I say to you though, what is that kinship? I say it is the kinship born of being human, of eating, sleeping, making love, experiencing the world, being born, living, and dying. 

 

Your Spirit within your body compels you to experience Life. 

 

To me, there are two elements that exist in people very strongly:

 

Individual expression and connecting with people and community.

 

I think to live fully, one must experience both and creative fulfillment in both, in the ways that are most fulfilling to you.

 

You must feel the courage to speak your opinion when you feel it is necessary. You must engage as an active citizen when you feel the need. 

 

The world is in a state of flux and constantly changing. While it may be hard to gauge the direction in which these changes will ultimately manifest, there has been a consistent movement for a change in perspective when it comes to individual expression and the role of the citizen in a community.

 

What do you wish to be? Where do you want to grow (internally and externally?) How do you wish to express yourself?

 

These are the questions that interest me. This is what compels me to grow.

 

This is the society that I wish to live in. This is the world I want to be part of, where the idea of a person going to work of course involves the idea of working for something they believe in and want to be a part of, and where they can both offer their talent and grow most productively.