U is for Unique

It's week twenty-one of Alphabe-Thursday!

U is for Unique...

I recently discovered this wonderful quote -

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" ~ Oscar Wilde ~

I instantly fell in love with that! I think it will become one of my mottos. I sometimes fall into the trap of comparing myself to others or trying to be someone I'm expected to be rather than who I am. But the truth is we are all unique. We each view the world from our own perspective and we all have our own special talents and skills. We do not need to be anyone, or anything, other than who we are.

There is a lot of pressure on us in this modern society. We are inundated with media images that show us the so-called 'right' way to live our lives. We're expected to constantly better ourselves by searching for more and continually changing our life in the pursuit of unlimited achievement. We're not expected to be happy with our lot, to want to slow things down and focus on what we already have. 

There is so much hatred in the world for people who are different. People who walk to the beat of their own drum. People who don't fit into the mould of who we as human beings are 'supposed' to be. But if we were all the same, with the exact same thoughts and feelings and reactions and experiences, we would be nothing more than machines. We'd be a race of human robots!

Our uniqueness is what makes us beautiful. We are all made of the same stuff, the same life, the same energy, and yet it is our specialness that makes us come alive. We are like snowflakes - they're all made of frozen water, but each flake has its own design, its own unique molecular structure.

I've experienced firsthand that trying to be someone other than who I am is a complete waste of energy. It causes sorrow and confusion. But most of all it disconnects me from my heart and from my truth. When I remind myself that my life is a blessing and that I am fine just as I am, the world becomes a much brighter place to be. 

Be yourself. Be who you are. Be your perfections and your imperfections. Embrace your gifts and accept your flaws. You are unique. And that's what makes you magnificent. There is no one on the planet like you. So be yourself. Be the star of your own life. And allow others the space to do the same.