What does it take to stop judging myself through the eyes of others?

What does it take…

… to stop sacrificing my personal happiness for my public image?

… to stop saying “Yes” when I really want to say “No” and vice versa.

… to stop pretending to believe what my family, friends, and neighbors claim to believe?

… to stop looking towards others for the answers when I already know full well the difference between right and wrong?

… to stop speaking in harmless clichés rather than heartfelt, and possibly provocative, honesties?

Is not harmony with myself always a higher calling than “harmony” with others?

Is it not absolutely exhausting and lonely to pretend to be something I am not?

So, do I have the integrity and guts to come out of the closet… to show the world who I really am, not who I think it wants me to be?

If I do, I just might discover a serenity I have never known before… and maybe even teach others that there is nothing cooler than being your own person.

Next Meditation: Fear of Authority