Being yourself never goes out of style

In my prior post, I noted how knowledge is the only thing that can't be taken away from you.

I'll now qualify that statement by adding that your uniqueness -- the essence of your truest self -- cannot be pilfered from you either, unless you allow it to be.

There will always be someone who envies or feels threatened by you. To overcome their insecurities, they might try to steer you down a different path -- as in, make you more like them and less like yourself.

But never give in!

No matter what sets you apart -- your aversion to drinking, your bookworm tendencies, your preference for the single life, your decision to rent and move every two years as opposed to buying property and putting down roots -- your life is your own, and you should strive to do whatever makes you happy. (So long, of course, as you're not hurting anybody in the process, even yourself.)

If being yourself doesn't make you the coolest guy or gal in the room, so be it.

It's better to be loathed for sticking to your guns than loved for being someone you know deep down isn't the real you.

Unfortunately, if you decide to go the latter route, you'll miss out on people who would have treasured the most authentic version of yourself.

Life's too short to spend one's time seeking others' validation. The only person's approval that matters in the long run is your own, because happiness comes only from within.

In a world that puts immense pressure on us to be clones, be yourself.

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