Push Yourself

"I thought you were the quietest person I had ever met."

This was a typical sentence that I used to hear all of the time because I was so shy and worried about what people would think about me I held back for many years.

My personality can be described by my friends as loud, bubbly, and supportive, but to strangers, how would they know that? To them they might just see a blank canvas, waiting to finally show its true colours (but only once you are around it enough). Maybe I don't come off as I truly am because I'm holding back from scaring them with how loud I can be accidentally. Or maybe they see me as uncaring since I don't fully push myself out of my comfort zone to say what I would say in any other situation. Even with my fears of rejection, these two thoughts would go through my brain making me wish I would push myself to be more comfortable in my own skin.

You see, there's so much that we are missing out on, and so much that we make people miss out on because we fail to do what the title states: push ourselves. Rejection nowadays comes in so many forms it is hard to keep up. With technology, anything can be sent across the world within a matter of seconds and that can be terrifying; but it can also be one of the most positive reinforcements in a persons life, because they can see all the good in the world, even in remote villages.

For me rejection and having someone not like me as a person was what used to make me be how I thought they needed and wanted me to be. Not being liked was my worst fear and it held me back incredibly because I always thought, "If they don't know me, they can't hate me." A bit messed up, but it is quite common actually!

Life is about relationships. We were never meant to be alone, to stay away from people, to not connect with people. Yes there are a lot of people out there in the world that are corrupt, but they are so limited in numbers and power when you compare them to the amazing, strong, and loving people that you come across daily. When we are striving forward, and pushing ourselves as a community to reach out with kindness and love, it becomes the most powerful motion. A lot of people say that there is too much darkness in the world for love to make a difference, but it is in the darkest areas, where light shines the brightest.

It is like that song that I used to sing in pre-school at church, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." Kids are amazing because even the shyest of them all, has such a light and innocence in them that they truly believe and know that they can change the world. We need to strive to be more like that; as time goes on instead of telling people they won't make an impact, we need to band together and push ourselves to the next level. And the level after that, and etc.

Next time you think that you should hold back and wait because you are terrified beyond belief, just remember there is someone more terrified than you, and maybe through seeing you do it they can finally work up the courage to be more bold. It can be something as small as just walking up to a stranger who is also sitting alone, and asking to sit with them; either you can sit in (hopefully) comfortable silence and just enjoy it, or you can connect and meet someone new.

Push yourself to do greater things. To do more loving and kinder things. To be who you truly are, without hiding from the world.

Comment either below or on the post that led you here, about what pushes you to be more bold and be your unique self. Could be your kids and how they copy you, or it could be a bad mentality trying to work against your awesome self. Let us know!