Being uniquely you

Okay, confession time; right after we put on our church outfit, our Sunday best; sometimes, when my husband and I walk into church on

Sunday mornings, we'll say, "Time to put on our church faces." It's a term used to describe the facade some put on, the 'perfect' version of ourselves we present to the world. Then, immediately after church, we rush home and change into our sweatpants. For me, it's my Oscar the Grouch "scram" shirt and sweatpants. If the facade isn’t happening at church, it’s at work, with friends, or around your neighborhood.

"Let the world feel the weight of who you are and let them deal with it." With today's technology, we can use filters to hide our imperfections before posting on social media. We are also hesitant to hit the publish button before exposing our thoughts. We worry about the judgment. We'll even hide certain people from seeing a post. Not you? Is it just me? It can't be. I finally decided they shouldn't follow me if I had to hide people from a post.

Everyone has an opinion about how you should live your life. So many people hide who they truly are, fearing what others will think of them and what would happen if people knew the truth. You deserve to live as yourself, and others need to be okay with it. It’s a liberating feeling to be yourself without the fear of judgment. It's not because people aren't judging you; they probably are. It's because you've chosen not to care nor let their opinions hold you back. You ultimately will not be happy if you're constantly worried about what others think.

Be unique. Stop apologizing for being authentically you because the world needs more genuine people: people who are brave enough to show who they really are and not hide behind the filters. Wear the shirt with the leather pants, turn that song you love up, dance even though you suck at it, and live out your dreams. You only get one life, so live the way you want to. If you live the way you think is best for you, one life is enough.