In my youth, I passed through 'phases' as we all do. I have been various things at various times, as I tried to conform and live up to the expectations of others. Like many before me and many who will come after me, I was living my life for someone else, not for me.

Wherever (and whoever) I was though, never felt quite 'right' for me. I was always that bit 'different' from the crowd. I felt like I was seeing things that others couldn't little realising that those others were being intentionally blind, in most cases, in order to be accepted. I never knew I was supposed to want to be accepted in the first place.

I was who I am, (and still am too). What you see is what you get. I've done the conforming, the trying to fit in thing - and gave up. I think I was probably too 'long in the tooth' by the time I was born to act other than who I am.  

Looking around me these days, I see many many people who are trying to fit in, to be other than who they are. Whether that is fitting in with a trend, a look, a religion, pressure group, peer pressure, political party, other belief system or whatever. That is a great pity. There are perhaps seven Billion unique individuals on this planet all trying to live up to something they can't, or won't, and getting bummed and depressed and frustrated as a result of their perceived "failure".

Sure, there are common similarities amongst people, that's why we have managed to create something that we call a 'society'. But those similarities bind us in a common cause, they are not 'targets' we need to aspire to reach in order to be 'accepted'.

There are enough ways in which people are kept apart and seperate. We do not need more and, in fact, we should be collectively attempting to break down such barriers through education that acceptance of others IS enough.  

We are ALL unique, equal, individuals with a God given Spirit. A Spirit which connects us all together, and all together, to God. We ARE all brothers and sisters, Children of the Creator. It makes NO difference what you believe, what you look like, what part of the world you have been born into, what gender you were born as, what sexual orientation you are.....

Whatever perceived differences there may exist between you and I..... it does NOT matter. Not to me, and not, I suspect, to the majority of others who have learned, as I did, that in order to be accepted, you first have to accept You!

Namaste all.