Dear World,
“If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and would achieve nothing.”
The words of Margaret Thatcher rhymes truth even to this day. Seeking approval and validation from others is a common human trait. At a deep level, we all desire to have our feelings, beliefs and ideas valued and accepted by those around us and we continue to strive towards it. We are wired to connect, and part of the dance of connection is the idea that “You see me, I see you and I accept you, you accept me.” This type of connection builds safety, trust and ultimately love. We all need to be loved, we all want to be accepted.
But what happens when the need for approval from others overrides our ability to feel free to live life on our terms? What happens when our need to be seen, heard or validated becomes more important than being true to who we are? Often when we seek approval, we do so at the cost of ourselves. We can become so obsessed with being accepted that we forget what’s most important.
When we try to live our lives trying for others approval, it is a very exhausting lifestyle and it diminishes who we really are. The moment we decide to free ourselves from the need to receive approval from others, we start to live life free. The truth is, we don’t need the approval of others to live a normal life in this interdependent society. When we look at the world, sometimes all we see are people who are better than us and that puts in us a feeling of inadequacy. And then we go on to create a version of ourselves in desperate hopes of being liked by the masses but in doing so, we compromise every bit of who we really are.
The moment we stop doing things so the masses are pleased, your own self gains a truer identity and purpose. Doesn’t matter which origin story you stick to, one undeniable fact is that we are all made unique and what makes our life on earth meaningful is when we live in our uniqueness and fulfil the purpose we were entrusted with. There’s nothing more beautiful in this world than a person who is comfortable in his/her uniqueness and chooses not to be influenced by others but rather change the world by not changing who they are. If we can live our lives the way we are rather than living it the way we think the world would like it, we make our creator happy. Each day you live the life God gave you, you put a smile on His face.
Nobody’s perfect, might as well be unique!
Sincerely,
A Broken Christian
P.S. The letter doesn’t end here, it goes on, as the fight does!