Being yourself feels dangerous because, in a sense, you’re excluding yourself
You’re basically telling the rest of the world, that you’re different from everyone else
But as scary as it feels, you can still pull it off, without alienating your friends
What scares you the most though, is all the strangers, you don’t really want to offend
They are all people you don’t know, but you know that they can be mean
They can be cruel or fickle or vindictive, and everything in between
You’ve seen it before, and it isn’t pretty, it’s human nature at it’s worst
And you’d really rather not deal with that, it’s a fate that feels like a curse
Stretching yourself beyond what you have known
Challenging yourself out of your comfort zone
Continually expanding it, making it bigger
Learning what you can and cannot deliver
Artists know what you are talking about, they know exactly how you feel
Creating art feels dangerous, too, because the rejection is just as real
You know it’s impossible to please everyone, but that doesn’t make it any easier
And stepping off the edge to do it, nothing ever makes you feel queasier
There is nothing harder than being you, without even an ounce of pretending
Even once you get the hang of it, the effort is never-ending
You realize in order to become yourself you have to create your life
A commitment that feels like you’re continually trying to catch a falling knife
Stretching yourself beyond what you have known
Challenging yourself out of your comfort zone
Continually expanding it, making it bigger
Learning what you can and cannot deliver
Growing means doing things that terrify you, things you’ve never done before
If you really want to know who you are, these acts will open that door
Of course you’re afraid, this kind of thing makes it likely you’ll be making mistakes
But if you want to know how to become yourself, this is exactly what it takes
Stretching yourself beyond what you have known
Challenging yourself out of your comfort zone
Continually expanding it, making it bigger
Learning what you can and cannot deliver
Photo by Geordanna Cordero via unsplash.com
