Amongst those of us who actually have freedom of choice, a large majority of people allow themselves to be manipulated by the views and preferences of others. Social media and peer pressure constantly encourage us to please others in order to be ‘accepted’. This can result in people needing to seek happiness from factors outside of themselves, instead of being at peace with who they are as individuals and allowing themselves to blossom naturally.
Many people unwittingly relinquish control of certain aspects of their lives, believing that they need to meet certain criteria in order to be ‘normal’. Current standards of perceived perfection encourage us to change our bodies and expect us to conform in our dress, speech, food and how we spend our leisure time, but these are actually very personal, subjective things. It is possible to be comfortable in our own skins and simply allow our inner beauty to shine.
At the other end of the scale, when we don’t agree with current trends, ideas and opinions and we overtly push against them, we run the risk of being considered ‘crusaders’ for an unworthy cause or labelled old fashioned and out of touch. Whichever camp we reside in, surely it’s easier to express ourselves from a place of love, rather than fear of how others might judge us – choosing to accept ourselves and each other no matter what?
Celebrating our uniqueness can be much more fulfilling than pointing out and taking issue with our differences. I don’t advocate that we blatantly disregard the sensitivities of cultural requirements or adopt a cynical attitude, but I do believe it’s alright to acknowledge our individuality with confidence whenever appropriate. When a person possesses an egoless sense of self love and accepts others just as they are, they emanate the energy of inner peace and strength that registers before their physical form is even noticed by others.
Self love can be difficult for all sorts of reasons; it’s something most of us have to work at even if we aspire to attaining it. I personally found this less of a challenge as I became more spiritually aware and less mindful of what others expected of me with regard to image and lifestyle. There was a gradual realisation that if I could accept myself just as I am, it would translate into ‘the outer reflecting the inner’, as the saying goes.
I admit that I’m still a work in progress. Yes, I still have days when I feel ‘visually less than good’ as I check myself in the mirror before leaving the house. Yes, I sometimes disagree with what other people say or do. However, apart from momentary lapses (I am still human!), I no longer dwell on these things, allow them to make me unhappy, or rob me of my sense of inner peace.
Not needing someone else’s approval of what I look like or what car I prefer is very empowering and I cherish the freedom of choice my outlook brings.
Kathleen Judd
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