Why not be you?

Why not be the best version of you?

This may seem like a silly thing to ask but from my experience with people, work, mentoring and aspirations you find out that it is not so silly after all.

For whatever reason many of us have not wanted to be ourselves but wanted to be like someone else. It could be as simple as wanting to be like Barbie, Janet Jackson, the latest pop star or a friend of yours etc. This has been an issue for many, just being themselves, just being them, you just being you.

I remember, when I was growing up with a name like Herman I so wanted to be called John, Peter, Simon or Michael. I wanted to be called a name that would blend in with the others and not stand out as much as it did (I do appreciate it now). However, it was not to be and I would be called from “Herman monster” to “Herman the German” by young kids who did not understand how much I hated being called Herman. Kids can be cruel but they are real and say what they think especially when teasing other children.

So from my experience I know being you can be painful and also not easy especially when you are young. For some they could have had issues with their parents, siblings, the area they lived in or the fact that they stood out because of their race or gender which was too much so they wanted to be different from whom they were. However, I have now learnt the best person to be is myself and for you to be yourself, because you can’t be no one else. But this has been a personal journey.

There is no one like you, there never has been and there will never be. You are special, unique, different and a one cut (in tailor terms). In the whole of mankind from the start till the end there will never be anyone like you, you have a unique, fingerprint, iris pattern, voice, personality and combination of gifts, talents and attributes. So don’t you think it is time to embrace, celebrate and be happy about being you?

Regardless of your differences, (as we all have them) your imperfections (as we all have them too), ultimately these things help to make you, you. So this week be glad, happy and grateful for being you as you will always be a poor copy of someone else but you will always be the original of you.

Have a great start to the week and flourish in who you are as you are great and we need you to be you.