The Pressure

The Pressure.

To perform.

To CONform.

TO CHANGE forms.

To be, do have....

This. That. Them. Those. These.

To toil but be regarded as a workaholic, an all-for-themselfer, a money whore, an elitist.

To rest, but be regarded as entitled, naive, a leech, lazy, self-indulgent.

To dress to impress YOURSELF, but be regarded as narcissistic, vain, and high maintenance.

To dress for comfort and be regarded as frumpy, a hot mess, unkempt, unclean, nothing special.

To be kind and forgiving, but be regarded as stupid, blind, a pushover, a doormat, an easy target.

To be confident and dominant, but be regarded as a bitch, as cold, savage, harsh, and cruel.

So many versions of so many people, we try on like hats to please other egos.

A constant masquerade.

Put it down. Put it away.

Be courageous enough to walk away from the many versions of you that were crafted, not by your own hands, but by the nimble yet inexperienced hands of others who fashioned a you of their own choosing without your consent.

Run screaming into the wilderness with yourself...the you that existed before the grubby hands of the world caught you.

The most courageous thing we can walk away from, in order to create the life we want, is not a THING, but a concept.

A conceptual YOU, forged by the dreams and imaginations of others, is the most dangerous inhibitor of your TRUTH.