I can’t count the number of times friends tell me they wish they could bottle my chutzpah. While having a conversation with a friend recently she stopped in mid- sentence and looked at me and said, “I could never be like you. You are stronger than me.” Now most people would consider this type of conversation flattering and while it is on a small level it also irritates me highly. Why?
I am a big believer in you can do, be or say anything that you want to be. So many people applaud me for standing up for what I believe in, calling people on their sh** and setting boundaries but they stop short of doing it for themselves. And again I ask why?
Because it is hard to hold the line on your boundaries, to tell people that their behavior is not acceptable, to be firm on what you believe in even if it hurts and alienates you from others. It can be a very lonely road and not an easy one at that. But to me it is simple.
Be. Your. Own. Hero.
No one else is going to show up and fight battles for you. My friends try to get me to fight theirs all the time. They give plenty of excuses why they can’t do it for themselves. But the honest answer is they don’t want to be uncomfortable. They want someone else to do the hard work. They want someone else to be the bad guy. They are dying to fit in.
And let’s face it, it is hard work being your own #hero. Many times it leads to a very lonely place where others can’t follow. It requires you to take a hard look at who you are, what your issues are and work to resolve them. To really, truly be the person you look up to at the end of the day. I don’t think there is much anyone can say to me that is negative that I have not heard before. I am very aware of my faults as well as my #strengths. The older I get, the more I work on my faults and celebrate my strengths. That is who I am. I celebrate all the weird, quirky stuff about me. The fact that I’m loud and opinionated. That I am bold and too honest. But that is what makes me my own hero too. Because I have learned to be my biggest fan and in doing so I have found I can accomplish so much more than I ever believed.
What about you? Are you struggling today? Why not step up? #Beyourownhero…