BLOSSOM....Never fear to be uniquely YOU!

SOMEWHERE OUT THERE....over the rainbow.....

 THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS WAITING TO LOVE JUST YOU.

SOMEWHERE OUT THERE....amongst the crowds and daily lives....

THERE IS SOMEONE WHO NEEDS THE SUPPORT, UNDERSTANDING, AND GUIDANCE OF SOMEONE, JUST LIKE YOU.

and

SOMEWHERE INSIDE OF YOURSELF.....in the depths of your heart....

THERE IS AN ESSENCE, A SOUL WHO KNOWS, AND IS WANTING TO BE SET FREE, TO GIVE YOU THE LIFE, LOVE, JOY, AND PEACE THAT IT KNOWS YOU DESERVE!

 

We must have the courage to be origional, unique, and true to ourselves. We must learn to love and accept ourselves, then we must learn to love and accept others. In doing so, we will provide the light that is needed for others to blossom into thier AWESOMELY unique selves. As each person is able to become true to themselves, they are, in turn,  dispersing feelings of joy and peace that will act as fertilizer, and encourage the growth of a gareden full of individual flowers, each one with full of rare and esquisite beauty. One unique flower can stand on it's own with its individual beauty, but when you place it in a garden full of vibrant flowers, it creates a world of beauty and a sight for the eyes to behold.

Looking down upon the world, we should view the whole as a picture of perfect harmony, while realizing that the perfect view from above would not be so without the specific duties and individual characteristics and traits of every living thing that encompasses it. We should never fear being origional and unique when you realize that, without each individual uniqueness and beauty, this world would not have the intrigue and mystery that keeps us searching and wanting to experience it more.

I do think that cultural diversity impacts a group, team, company, community, and the world in many ways, more so for the better. First of all, people tend to shun people/things that they are not familiar with or know nothing about out of fear and not understanding. The more people are able to understand people, ideas, etc. that are different from their own; the more that these people can relate to them and accept them. It allows for people to come up with new ideas to solve old problems, collaborate, and work together to achieve some type of shared perspective or acceptance. In my opinion, relationships are the basis of all things good in this world, peer, coworker relations, intimate, family, neighborly, etc. and by opening ourselves up to ways or people that are different from our own, these relationships (through building them and getting to know/and understand one another), can create stronger ties to one another to support, encourage, and promote the wellbeing and strength of these relationships and society as a whole.

If we wanted to lessen the negative impact that diversity can have (which I believe is only caused from people thinking they are superior in some way to the other culture) is have individuals focus inward so that they are able to humble themselves. In recognizing our own strengths and weaknesses and being honest with ourselves about why we feel like we do, have our own opinions, or why we think the way we do, we must realize and accept the fact that other people have their own unique personalities, styles, opinions, and ways in which they prefer to do things, as well.  This should help people to understand the fact that we should, not only accept people who are different than us, we should realize that without their unique and diverse qualities bringing color and flavor into our world, we would never reach a point of self-acceptance and satisfaction that comes with being able to be true to ourselves while living our authentic lives. We should not be viewing individual differences as a hinder, a barrier, or a negative aspect in any way; in fact, it should be just the opposite. We should use those individuals that are unique and different than us as a tool. We should allow their confidence and ability to be original, in despite of a world that is forever pressuring us change and be more like one another, to inspire and motivate us to have the courage to be unique and original as well. Their ease and ability to stay true to who they are, while not fearing or caring what others think of them, or what society, culture, laws, governance, or religion tells us to be should be a force for us to do the same.  

When you think about it, peace and true happiness for everyone on this Earth can be identified in three simple, yet extremely powerful words: “The Golden Rule!” It’s the process of reciprocation, I mean, how can anyone expect to be accepted by others, yet they are not willing to accept or act in judgmental ways towards others. By accepting others for who they are, we are then able to have confidence in ourselves when we allow ourselves to blossom into the person that we were meant to be, without fear of how others will treat us. With this growth comes intense introspect because how would anyone know how to be true to themselves if they aren’t building honest, intense, and a healthy relationship with themselves. Just as any relationship needs trust and honest communication to thrive, one must connect and communicate with their inner self. The more one gets to know themselves, the more resilience and inner strength they will gain because these self “insights” will make you aware of weaknesses, imperfections, or hindering aspects that lie within yourself. Just as you may have been noticing and focusing on other’s imperfections, annoying habits, or differences, you come to the realization that they probably feel the same way about you. Now, one will have a choice, to either continue to put up walls between those people who are different than you (which will further separate you from the world and cause others not to accept your imperfections), or you could accept them for their differences, just as you would hope that they would accept and appreciate in you.

The important thing to keep in mind, during this process, is that imperfections (whether within ourselves or of others) is the strongest tool that can be used and one that will bring your life the most value because it is the one thing that will link you to others, and the world around you. Such a fascinating thing to realize that the exact things that you have been focusing on and using as a barrier or a means of separation from others, is the exact and profound thing that is meant to connect you to those same individuals. Knowing your own less than desirable qualities could cause you to, upon first recognition, to feel a little less good about yourself, but in this humbling process, it causes you to realize that, deep-down, we all want the same thing, to be accepted and loved for who we are. This is the stepping stone to building strong and healthy relationships with everyone, while treating all persons as equals, because, in order for others to accept you, you must first accept yourself, and in order to accept yourself, you must accept others. This is where you learn that those differences or annoyances you may have once felt for others are the tie that binds us together, not the traits, qualities, or characteristics that should separate us.  

BOOM!!!  Just like that, you feel such a strong connection to the world, a connection that allows you to not only accept, but to value, appreciate, love, and praise those who are different from you, because without them, you may have not had the courage to become true to yourself. With this comes a peace of mind by knowing that no one is perfect, nor do we have to be because the true beauty lies in the uniqueness that is within each of us…imperfections and all. You will start to view the world around you in a whole different way. You will appreciate, have a deep and profound hunger and intrigue to want to know, understand, and relate to those who are much more different and unique than you. You will no longer try to change others or get annoyed when they don’t agree with your egotistical mind or opinions, and you will appreciate their thoughts, opinions, and feelings because it is the only way that you can view the world in a way that even remotely resembles that in which we call the “truth.”  

You will notice a shift when you stop focusing on individual differences. No longer will you be focusing on the past (why did they/I say or do that, I don’t care for or like this or that about them, what could I have done differently or how could I get them to see it my way), and no longer will you be focusing on the future (how will I change them, how will I get them to see my way, or harboring resentment for the way they have treated you or disagreed with your beliefs or opinions while seeking out ways to get back at them, seek out the advice or adversaries of others, or have to rely on others opinions to determine your actions.) and just like that, your whole world shifts from the then and later to the “here” and “now,” bringing with it, enriching and invaluable pleasure from being able to live in the moment while experience life on life’s terms. Such a liberating feeling to hand over the control of your destiny, to give away the keys to your ego, that which has steered your life for as long as you can remember. To surrender and allow your intuition and heart to guide you while allowing nature to unfold while your fate and self blossoms. Giving up this control, accepting things, people, and yourself, and allowing the love and energy to flow from you, you will have the courage within yourself that will allow you to thrive and achieve great things that may not have been otherwise possible without the love, support, and connection that you have made with others and the world around you. Inner peace, OM, harmony, nirvana, heaven, whatever you may wish to call it, now you have found it, you see a bit of yourself in everything around you, but you are able to also sense a little bit of that everything, inside of yourself.  

When you live life in this way, your whole world changes as you choose to see the world, and the people in it, as beautiful and unique, each in our own way. The energy you put out is positive, accepting, and encouraging; therefore, others become attracted to these positive vibrations, and individuals whom you encounter will feel at ease around you, and you will help them to feel confident that they are loved and accepted for who they are as well. The more individuals who are accepted for who they are will result in the transformation of even more individuals feeling less intimated to be their true and authentic selves. With these transformations will come inner peace, feelings of contentment, harmony (inner and outward), great joy and an intense gratitude that will create a synchronicity with the individual and the world around them. No more having to defend oneself, no more feelings of being judged or bullied, no more being forced to be someone or something we are not, no more feelings of being controlled (by society, others, or ourselves), but rather, just a calm and peaceful conscious mind. A mind that allows your days and moments to be filled with feeling of complete love, appreciation, and gratitude for the beauty that was once overlooked, but you are now witnessing that is pouring from the essence of every living thing around you. There is a certain serenity that comes with witnessing living things, whether people, plants, animals, clouds, nature, or elements, as they change, shift forms, evolve, or grow, while knowing that, just like you, they, too, are simply trying to survive and grow into better and more mature forms of being.