Mom used to always tell us "Don't be a follower." She always taught us to listen to our true hearts and not just go along with the crowd.
But when you're a pre-teen/teen/young adult, following the crowd is what gets you accepted by others, it's how you make friends. If everyone is wearing the current trends, listening to the popular music but you're not, it's easy to be left out of things. So we quiet our true hearts, go along with the crowd, do the things everyone else is doing and we're accepted as part of the group. It's human nature; we're safer in groups. And we start believing we're choosing for ourselves when we're really following the crowd in order to gain acceptance.
When we're babies and toddlers, though, this "following" mentality doesn't even register. We are totally reactive and accepting. Babies drool, make funny faces, laugh at silly things, wear untrendy clothes - without ever a thought as what anyone else might think. They're completely, totally uninhibited and free of any judgment, of themselves or others.
Choose wisely what you expose your mind to; what input you give it; who you spend your time with; what kind of "bread" you feed your one-of-a-kind mind to nourish it." - Beads of Wisdom, Janice Lynne Lundy
My authentic self:
- Doesn't like cartoons (They're too over-the-top, too "ah-OOO-ga!" for me)
- Loves Chocolate Almond ice cream
- Doesn't like violent movies, car chases, explosions
- Doesn't like 3D (it spoils the movie for me because the emphasis is on the snazzy special effects)
- Loves a good story
- Finds fireworks boring (explosions, bang-boom-pow - yawn ... tell me a good story instead)
- Chooses non-violence - TV shows, books, movies - I'm more careful about what I consume and prefer peace and love over violence and fear
- Doesn't drink alcohol (never really found a reason to; oddly to some, I don't like the way it makes me feel; I feel different, not me, not authentic)
- LOVES yoga
- Loves to take walks in the morning
- Loves to lie in the sun in the afternoons
- Loves to hug others with loving enthusiasm
- Is completely content to be alone, puttering around my home, doing whatever I choose to do to make me happy
- Laughs out loud at funny shows
- Claps (alone in my home) at great performances on So You Think You Can Dance
- Loves salads and veggies and quinoa
- Doesn't like meat in general (exceptions: tacos and my special In 'n Out burger)
- Gags when I see any animal meat on a bone (urp)
- Digs in the dirt without gloves (with my diamond and ruby rings on)
- Loves loving and being loved
Periodically, I do a self-examination and ask myself: What is no longer serving my highest and greatest good? What do I choose to consume? Do I choose things that are kind, caring, loving, nourishing to my authentic self? Things that enrich myself and others? I try to choose wisely and with a kind heart.
Are there any things that your authentic self likes or doesn't like that go against the norm?
4 comments:
The great thing about getting older is that we care less and less about what others think of us.
Great post. Hmmm... against the norm... I don't follow "the news" (i.e. don't read newspapers or watch it on TV) ... and I truly totally adore being alone 90% of the time. :-)
Debra - and isn't it freeing? For years, I carried around a clipping that said "When I was 20, I worried about what everyone else thought about me. When I was 30, I didn't care what anyone else thought about me. When I was 40, I realized, they weren't thinking about me." With age, comes wisdom.
Darla - Kindred spirits! I don't watch the news, either; if something big pops, I'll usually see a mention on facebook first and can then check it out if interested. I happened to be listening to newsradio this morning and every story was about some tragedy in the world; there's nothing I can do about those events, so I just turned off the radio.
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