BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

"Sorry, I didn't get that? Temi what?"

It was the third time this week that Temiposire has had to repeat her name more than once each time she introduced herself to a new person. Back in school, she had become the subject of regular banter from classmates who took turns to make jest of her name. 

But Temiposire didn't let any of that get to her, rejecting attempts from her friends to make her name sound classy. She took pride in the cultural identity that gave birth to the name. 

A couple of blocks away from where Temiposire lived was a young chap around the same age as her, Thomas. Thomas was an only child, the priceless jewel of his parent's world. Although his dad worked at a blue collar firm and he had a stay-at-home mum, Thomas put a real strain on the family's finances, spending large sums to enhance his physical appearance just like his friend Johnson except that Johnson's parents were rich and his lifestyle wasn't a strain on their finances. With time, he began to borrow clothes and shoes from friends to show off. 

The stories of Temiposire and Thomas may look unconnected but they represent two sides of a divide. A real world divide that includes all of us humans. 

On the one hand is Temiposire and her kind - people that stay true to themselves, refusing to succumb to societal pressure to be someone else. And on the other hand is Thomas and his kind - People that try to project an image they are not. 

Why would someone try to project an image they are not? One word: societal pressure. But you are way more valuable as an original than a photocopy. You see, no matter how good a photocopy looks, it's still a photocopy.  

Each time you try to look like another person, you lose your identity. You lose your power. You lose your dignity. You lose relevance. In the end, you lose yourself. 

If people do not like who you are, they can always look elsewhere for the "brand of person" they seek but please, stay true to yourself.  

In a world where people are trying to be who they are not to impress and intimidate others, there is so much dignity in being who you are. 

When you stay true to yourself, you can explore your uniqueness and maximize your potential. But if you are always trying to project an image you are not, you will not only struggle being a photocopy, the vast resources deposited in you would go to waste.

Story: Bolaji Seyi