Who are you - REALLY?

Be yourself.  Everyone else is already taken!

As I have gotten older, there are times when I know that the expression on my face, along with the sigh coming out of my mouth, is an exact replica of my mother (NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT).

I have also said to my husband more times than I care to recount, "Really, Leroy"?  His name is Terry...his father was Leroy.  Now, I don't know about the difference as it relates to all male versus female imitations, but in our house, when I am emulating my mother, it is not even close to the negative behavior my husband is imitating.  Just my observation....

So who are you really?  Who am I?  I was talking to my youngest the other day and she was sharing some of her beliefs with me.  She didn't come right out and say "this is what I believe" but she was relaying a conversation that took place in her Bible Study class.  While listening to her, I was so thankful we found such a great school for her to attend as it soon became apparent that her teacher was not telling them what to believe but rather creating the opportunity for"independent thinking". This is not the first time Madi has shared her teachers doing this.

So many of us are guilty of regurgitating another person's thoughts as if they were gospel, without doing the necessary homework, research, background checks, to see if what we are saying is really true.  And if it is true, is is something we truly believe.  How many times (when engaged in conversation) do you hear someone say "I feel like.....and then not relay a feeling but an alleged fact?
As my kids will tell you, just because you feel something doesn't make it true.  (I wonder if that pithy phrase is something that will pop out of their mouth to their kids someday?)  We should know something and BELIEVE it to be true before it ever bears repeating.  Of course, Facebook would lose a lot of business.  For that matter, so would any form of media.

I believe most of us are made of of many other people.  There are many lessons in this life that I have learned from others that have shaped who I am.   And that's okay.  But the very essence of who I am is that ability to take all of my observations and experiences that are uniquely mine, and make sense of the world, trust my own judgement and arrive at a decision or conclusion, even if I end up contrary to what others believe or say.

This isn't always a popular stance.  I once was on an interview panel to select a high profile position along with two other people.  We ranked our selections with first, second and third choice.  Our boss agreed with our selection.  Soon we had a call from the boss's boss.  Apparently we didn't choose in the right order.  You see where I am going.

There may be times in life when you can't be yourself.  Once that has been made apparent, don't waste any more time than you have to.  Get out while you still know who you are.

Until next time,
#notabobblehead

your pal,
Kari