Breaking the Barriers

For decades, people have tried to figure out the successful way of getting along with peers, spouses, co-workers, and even family. Most think that because their personalities differ so greatly that they cannot truly ever be understood or even begin to tolerate this other person’s company. But I’ve come to find out that there is one thing that one must do before they can even begin to comprehend what it means to truly know someone. They must be true to themselves and not portray themselves as something they are not.
         Martial artists often first teach their students of self-discovery. They dig into their very souls because they know that to first understand the world around them, they need to understand themselves. This is one thing that I know every person struggles through. There was, is, or will be a time that every human being struggles to understand themselves. Once they do find something to be true of themselves, they can grow from there. This is something I am still doing. I am still discovering facets of my personality that I didn’t know existed. However, along the way, I don’t pretend to be something I am not. How can I find true friends and a life that is fulfilling if I am constantly having to stress over being someone I am not? I see that a lot in people whether it be here at this school or outside of my school life. Once you understand who you are, even if it is a tiny aspect of your true self, you should cling to that. Despite that this is obviously the right thing to do, most people don’t. They’re afraid of society; afraid that society wont approve. So they ignore their inner self, jamming it back into the depths of their being just because society dictates how they should be.
         That very thing is the factor that leads to so many problems with people. They conceal their true feelings, true opinions, and true beliefs because they fear not being accepted by others. There was a time that I felt like that. I felt that no one would understand the real me; the me beneath all surface appearances, but that was not true. Once I dropped all the walls, all the barriers that kept the real me hidden beneath the surface, I discovered life was so much better. Not only did I not repeatedly have to ignore my true feelings, some of the best friends I have, found me. I didn’t have to go looking for them because once they saw who I really was we were simply drawn together. In fact, I believe that my best friend and I were drawn together firstly because there was not anything fake about either of us. We knew and know who were are and we don’t pretend to be something other than ourselves. We show others our true selves whether they approve or not.
         Putting up false pretenses will bring you nothing but negativity in your life. I urge every one of you to not ignore who you really are. Don’t be something that you are not. That in itself is one of the most despicable things you can do. Instead, I urge you to embrace your true self and display it so that everyone around you can see it. That way, when you face the challenges that life throws at you, you can do so with the knowledge and confidence you will obtain when you break the barriers of society and be who you really are.