Keep Hold of Your "You"

I have this friend named Dana. I am a little jealous of Dana because she has a way of putting together phrases, and sentences, and paragraphs in a way I don’t ever feel like I could. She is a gifted writer and has a way of communicating her point of view with just enough information so you get her point, but not so much information that you can’t see yourself in her writing and develop your own interpretation from it.

Well, Dana wrote this post on her blog. And, I loved it. (Proof of Love = Retweet). Here’s the meaning that I gleaned from her post:

Every single person in your life has their own interpretation of “you,” and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s not good or bad. It just is. But you have your own belief and interpretation of the “you” that you are. And, you have a responsibility to yourself to maintain the “you” that you believe you are, no matter what.
But, it becomes difficult when the “you” that you believe you are strays from the “you” that others believe you to be. So, what do you do?

You let them be. You allow them to hold on to what they believe you are, because it works for them. You, on the other hand, must hold on to your “authenticity.”


I think she couldn’t be more right. If you believe in you, and all that you are there is … there’s no shame in your game. You continue to be you, even though it’s hard.

Personally speaking, I have had instances where I’ve thought that it would be so much easier to just give in and match a person’s version of me.

I mean, think about it. We, as a society, don’t like change. Similarly, as communicative beings, we like organizational patterns. They help us perceive all that happens in the world around us quickly and efficiently. So, when we evolve the version of ourselves and this version no longer matches the pattern that others are used to following, it causes struggle and tumult, and it strains relationships.

So, what do you do when your "you" is causing chaos in your life?

You keep your feet firmly planted in your truth.

You stick to your convictions.

You listen to your gut.

If you can stay connected and in tune with your “you,” through every inevitable evolution of yourself, it is only a matter of time before those that matter will start to change their expectations and begin to love and value and appreciate you, for all that you are.