Be True to Yourself

I was the kind of young girl who liked whatever "the leader" of our group liked.  I hardly EVER stuck up for myself or my true likes or dislikes.  I look back at myself and feel so sad for that girl who just didn't have the confidence to be herself.  Having a daughter of my own I really try to instill confidence and originality in her based on my childhood of being a scared follower.  That's what I guess I was--a scared follower.  I was scared to be outed from the group.  I was scared that if I stuck up for myself, AGAINST the "leader" I would be embarrassed and singled out.  I was scared of not doing what everyone else wanted to do.  I didn't want to stand out for being different.  I hid my true self.

As an adult I now know how important it is to be an original and to be true to what is right for me even if it's totally different than everyone else.  I now like to be an original.  It makes life much more interesting, doesn't it?  One of my new paintings is below and it's a reminder to be true to yourself.  I think it would be perfect for a young girl who's just starting to find her true self.