First of all, I am terribly sorry for such an (extremely) long absence. I guess one of the main reasons why I prevented myself from posting something on this blog is the fear of judgment or let's just say for the sake of being brutally honest, the fear of (mean) criticism. A blog is said to be a personal space where one can openly and freely expose an idea, a thought, an emotion. These may be linked to fashion, politics, relationships or cooking. In general, to be fair, I am a loquacious-chatty-quacking-person in real life. I am far from being a great connector such as François Xavier Muldoon (a mentor of Nicholas Boothman -- if you haven't read his book, I'd highly recommend it!), however I simply enjoy connecting with people. So it's quite ironic that I am having a hard time trying to connect myself with you all through this wondrous platform! But hey, I will try to do my best in being more present (or simply show less absences). After all, it is a true privilege to be a part of the HuffPost family -- so let's start the engine!
In relation to what I have said previously, I fear exposing myself, or more exposing my thoughts. As a member of society, we live through the eyes of others that see us. We can try to avoid exposure to another human being and thus protect ourselves from any critic or judgement. However, this is only possible if we decide to cast ourselves away and have a friend, Wilson the Volleyball, to keep us company. Even in this scenario, Wilson is proof that human beings need company (or an impersonation of another human being) in order to survive. (Tom Hanks wouldn't have made it without Wilson!)
As with any relationship (in this case you, readers and I, the blabber with the verbal diarrhea), I believe that in order for this whole deal to work, I need to be authentic to you and to myself. Hence the term found and coined (and which I love): Beauthentic! It is also a playful term since beau is in it (French for beautiful). There is beauty in being who you truly are, in embracing your true self and sharing this with the world. Obviously if your true self is a psychotic serial killer, well let's just say nobody would want to be near such a life-threatening being. So you get me here right?
It is challenging in today's world for somebody to be authentic. We sometimes need to go with the flow and follow certain protocols in order to "fit in." To simplify things in the dumbest way, I doubt that my current employer would approve of me going to the office in my Paul Frank pajamas (FYI they are way too colorful and zoo-esque for day to day office hours). However, I've managed to express myself in other subtler ways... (e.g. I have a sparkly pink Minnie Mouse work ID-badge that hangs proudly around my neck during work hours). I must look ridiculous in the eyes of other people and I have simply learned to accept their remarks. Thank goodness there are others who share my opinion and see the colorful badge holder as something fun!
All of us are searching for some sort of belonging and acceptance from others. In trying to attain such recognition, we "tweak" ourselves. We need to tune down this, showcase more of that, keep some stuff hanging in the low key, not being too loud about other things, etc. So much to deal with! Even if we aren't Miley Cyrus or Kylie Jenner, insecurities still find there way to creep inside of us and waves of criticism from time to time are bound to smack us right in the face. So how does one cope with these imminent discomforts? Well in my case, since I am writing this, I simply learned to face the fact that we simply can't please every single person on this planet. Trying to do so would be detrimental to ourselves. Being authentic liberates your true person and the feeling of such freedom is gratifying enough to puddle through any difficult situation. Ultimately, this kind of liberation makes you happy. Nonetheless, remarks and criticism can oftentimes be useful and constructive. Therefore, we need to learn to distinguish the positive and the negative, and ultimately listen to these positives one for they can be beneficial. At the end of the day, it is through other people too that we are able grow and become a better person.
Sometimes, it is difficult to be "you" in all your wholesome glory due to some external factors. However, you shouldn't be scared of what others will say. Be at peace with yourself and dare to be you! The internet has facilitated the exchange of ideas and opinions. It has unleashed human minds and allowed them to interconnect instantaneously. Of course, with the amount of blogs and the proliferation of social media, cyber bullying and trolls have sadly found their perfect war zone. Don't let this negativity hurt you and don't let those obnoxious people win. It's devastating that they have succeeded in claiming the lives of people who were just being authentic on the net (recently, Taylor Alesana who simply dared to show her real self to others). This story is heartbreaking and simply illustrate the challenges of being an authentic person.
Amidst the strong disapproving looks and hurtful words thrown to us, there is and will always be the cheering and welcoming bunch of people supporting the true you! Then again, you don't really need a bunch of them, you sometimes just need support coming from that unique beautiful person: the one looking in the mirror.
As Oscar Wilde said: "Be yourself; everyone else is taken." Let's all simply be 'Beauthentic' and let our uniqueness be the norm in today's society! We should learn to embrace the diversity this world contains and just let people be.