“Trying to please everybody is impossible – if you did that, you’d end up in the middle with nobody liking you. You’ve just got to make the decision about what you think is your best, and do it.” -John Lennon
There’s no better way to start off Staceyism than with this quote from one of the greatest souls our world has known. Even knowing that being in the middle isn’t right for me, like a moth to a flame, the pull to try to make others happy at my own expense has wrapped me up tight again and again.
I’ve heard it said, and proven it true many times, that you have to really decide to change AND commit to it through action. Let’s see how brave I’m really going to be here. It’s my story like only I can tell it. For 42 years now I’ve given in to fear far more often than I would have liked. Not surprising to those who know better, this practice hasn’t served me particularly well. There were, however, still great lessons learned.
Being truly authentic seems to be the proven ‘secret’ for happiness. My heroes speak loudly about following the path that was meant for them. I know my path, sometimes. And I am extremely proud of the strength I’ve shown many times. Self-love is a righteous and beautiful thing. It’s the ultimate fuel for success.
My personal challenge is to put my real self out there. Really put myself out there. I don’t want to be worried about being disliked. I don’t want to be meek for fear of ridicule. So I won’t, at least less often than I have in the past. I also don’t want to need to be liked to feel good about my choices. Why on earth would I give that much power to someone else far less deserving than myself?
Why? Well, that’s where the back story comes in and I’m not quite ready for all of that just yet. We’ll get to that kind of stuff soon enough. Today I’m going to begin where I am. There’s so much beauty around me. Like this gorgeous flowering plant that greets me as I come and go from my home.
She’s getting ready to bloom right where she’s planted. I love gently stroking her beautiful shape and am so eager to see her petals. My eagerness doesn’t change her course. She is here for her purpose, not mine. Hmmm… nature is my favorite teacher.
She bloomed last year just a few weeks after we moved in here. Huge flowers like I’d never seen before. I fell in love with her. After several weeks, the landscapers cut her stems really far back. I knew to trust this was the right thing for her, even if it was sad to see. And sure enough, here we are beginning another spring season and she’s taller and stronger than ever. Her determination and resilience inspire me.
That’s the jist of Staceyism. My inspirations and passions. And a lot of quotes because every voice has wisdom.
