Dare to be YOU

Be you, they say.

But what does that mean?

It starts when we’re little. They tell us to color inside the lines. To dress like the other kids. To play the same games, same sports, same instruments.  

Why can’t  you be more like your brother? Like your sister? Like those other kids on the playground?

I remember being laughed at, made fun of, ridiculed for anything that made me different. I was taller than the other girls. I wore glasses. I wore a different brand of tee shirt. Or sneakers. Or jeans.

Grievous sins in middle school. 

Be you, they tell you.

But it doesn’t ring true.

Be you, but only if you do it the right way.  Be you, but only if it fits within these specific guidelines. Be you, but don’t make anyone uncomfortable. Be you, but don’t be weird. 

Be you, they say. Just… not like that.

It gets to the point where the words lose their meaning. Where the world has told us who to be at every step for so long that when we finally have the opportunity to make a choice, to be ourselves, to step out of the mold… we don’t know where to go.

Who am I? What do I want? What do I even like? 

Honestly? It’s pretty scary!

In a world where we were raised to believe that conformity is comfort, that fitting in is key and that being different means being wrong, it is an act of bravery - even rebellion - to step out of line. Because the truth is, despite the world trying to make us believe that one size fits all, when we actually look closely, one size… fits one.

So what do you do when you realize that you have been shoe-horning yourself into someone else’s life?  When you realize that you have been painting your life with the brushes of someone else’s expectations? When you allow yourself to truly see that there is a whole different you underneath the mask that society has been putting on you for your whole life?

This is when you dare. Maybe it’s a small step, maybe it’s a giant leap. Either way, you dare.

Give yourself grace. Give yourself time. Give yourself permission to try. Be willing to make mistakes. Sometimes the best way to figure out what you want, what you like, and who you are… is to figure out what you don’t want, don’t like, and who you aren’t.

We are here for the journey. We are here for you. Bring your true self and let it shine. Find what makes you different. Find what makes you glow. Find what makes you you. Dare to unlock your vibe.