Every man is born an original, but sadly, most men die copies. Abraham Lincoln
I know. I know you think - you really really think and believe - that you are original in your...dress, thoughts, work ethic, beliefs, writing style, musical tastes, etc etc. I'm so sorry to break it to you but you are not. Neither am I. We want to be originals, to be the unique individuals we were created to be but we are not. We are not for so many reasons. Peer pressure, society rules, fear, lack of creativity, lack of effort, wounds, etc.
But is it possible to reclaim at least a smidgen of our originality? Is it possible that we could actually fight against being copycats? How would we do that? What would it look like? Sound like? Feel like?
Personally I've been going through some changes the past couple of years. And oh my has it caused some "problems". Part of the reason it has is because I no longer look like the "others". I no longer am a copycat. I'm not original in my transformations but in the majority of my sphere of influence I have become more of an original than a copycat. Except the copycats (and no I'm not being mean or condescending, it's a simple frame of reference - just breathe for heaven's sake!) don't see what I am going through as a transformation toward originality but toward something...else. (I could speculate and throw some words out there as to what I think they define "else" as but I won't, it's not worth it to me.) When this happens the temptation is strong to remain a copycat so that the peace is kept, people still will like you or talk to you or think favorably of you, etc but if I caved into that temptation wouldn't I be proving that being an original is a bunch of talk? I would. And I would rather honor the transformations I am going through than dishonor who I am created to be. I'm kinda thinking all of us might feel similarly.
The funny thing about originality is it threatens people. It's really kind of funny to watch as people feel threatened by what I have been going through. So while *we* may say "be an original" we actually mean and act out "be a copycat". Ugh. Here's what I say, "Don't be a copycat!"
I know. I know you think - you really really think and believe - that you are original in your...dress, thoughts, work ethic, beliefs, writing style, musical tastes, etc etc. I'm so sorry to break it to you but you are not. Neither am I. We want to be originals, to be the unique individuals we were created to be but we are not. We are not for so many reasons. Peer pressure, society rules, fear, lack of creativity, lack of effort, wounds, etc.
But is it possible to reclaim at least a smidgen of our originality? Is it possible that we could actually fight against being copycats? How would we do that? What would it look like? Sound like? Feel like?
Personally I've been going through some changes the past couple of years. And oh my has it caused some "problems". Part of the reason it has is because I no longer look like the "others". I no longer am a copycat. I'm not original in my transformations but in the majority of my sphere of influence I have become more of an original than a copycat. Except the copycats (and no I'm not being mean or condescending, it's a simple frame of reference - just breathe for heaven's sake!) don't see what I am going through as a transformation toward originality but toward something...else. (I could speculate and throw some words out there as to what I think they define "else" as but I won't, it's not worth it to me.) When this happens the temptation is strong to remain a copycat so that the peace is kept, people still will like you or talk to you or think favorably of you, etc but if I caved into that temptation wouldn't I be proving that being an original is a bunch of talk? I would. And I would rather honor the transformations I am going through than dishonor who I am created to be. I'm kinda thinking all of us might feel similarly.
The funny thing about originality is it threatens people. It's really kind of funny to watch as people feel threatened by what I have been going through. So while *we* may say "be an original" we actually mean and act out "be a copycat". Ugh. Here's what I say, "Don't be a copycat!"
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