Wait, First Let Me Overreact!

Have ever considered gifting this message to a friend, colleague, or even a family member? I received this most touching message etched on a canvas ready to be nailed on a wall where it could be read and shared with all. Pause for a second and think about what your reaction would have been? Maybe this was humorous, and I was just being too sensitive. These moments in life when we bite back our true feelings become little pebbles that kicked along a sidewalk or thrown from a car to the emergency lane do not amount to much, but what if we kept track of all those pebbles, consciously or subconsciously? We are trained from childhood that we must behave and act according to societal mores and values. The infamous melting pot now becomes the tossed salad. We can remain unique and still coexist, or at least I would like to think so.

Are gifts such as these a reflection of how you are perceived by others or just a testament to the giver's intimidation--the answer probably rests somewhere in the middle. We attribute much to external forces, but when do we take ownership for who we are, how we behave, and yes, even how we react, we have the ability to harness our innate abilities and create positive outcomes. I suppose I was triggered to write this based on a recent situation where an assumed mentor defined what the words assumes means. You know the adage, first credited by Weldon in his Court and Character of King James: "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." We are not oblivious to the character traits of people with which we know, but we do choose to ignore those traits we deem as less desirable. Have our lives turned into our own Shakespearean drama?

It is time to reclaim the person you know you are and want to be. This won't be easy because not only do you have to stop lying to yourself, but you also have to stop willingly playing your part. Or maybe I am completely wrong and the true way to coexist is to remain in character. I will leave this in your, my readers, hands as each of you know far better which dramas to remain in and which to exit stage left!