Trust 30: Entry Eleven

Divine Idea by Fabian Kruse

Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down in which areas of your life you have to overcome these suicidal tendencies of imitation, and how you can transform them into a newborn you – one that doesn’t hide its uniqueness, but thrives on it. There is a “divine idea which each of us represents” – which is yours?

(Author: Fabian Kruse)

There will never be another me. That is not arrogant, it is just truth. I am unique. You are unique. Every person that currently takes up space on the planet is unique. Every person that has ever or will ever take up space on this planet was and will be unique. And that uniqueness allows each of us to offer something extraordinary to the world. Does this always happen? Absolutely not. There are a lot of forces working against us, keeping our uniqueness buried or stifled. Economics, where we are born, who we are born to, what form of government we are born under and societal expectations are just a few of the many parameters that can choke back our potential. Is it harder for some more than others? Yes, much harder, but not impossible.*

What is “suicidal” is to not discover who I really am and be content trying to live out the expectations of others, choosing to not fight through the detritus that hinders that discovery. To go along to get along, go with the flow and live out all the other cliches that are used to describe mediocrity. To figure out how I am wired, what my default response mechanisms are, what my strengths are and move forward in that knowledge, expecting to succeed. 

There are potential pitfalls to this. I can take this charge to an extreme and get wrapped up in me to the detriment of others. That is my right but it portends a lonely, solitary existence. The key to not ending up a jerk (which is always a possibility when focused on me) is to take the knowledge of myself and still swim the waters of humanity and culture and life, cultivating the ability to not only get along with others, but to find the balance of giving and getting that allows everyone to thrive. To be me and not alienate everyone else in the process is the ultimate success story.

*I realize how arrogant that sounds when a middle class white dude pretends to be speaking for everyone, including the poor and afflicted all over the globe, but, any time someone starts discussing “discovering yourself” and is semi-serious... well, I realize I am canoeing dangerously close to Deepak Chopra waters so I request some giving of slack. Thanks in advance.

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Find out more at http://ralphwaldoemerson.me