Hello Real Talk family and friends of Hive🤗! Welcome to my Real Talk Prompt 3 blog. Own your voice, no judgment❤️.
"Would you rather be respected for who you are or loved for who you’re not?”
I would rather be respected for who I am rather than be loved for who I ain't. My top core values, not only in myself, but also in other people, is respect and authenticity.
I have tried the latter. You know what they say, go with the wind? Lord knows, I have compromised my values and boundaries, to fit other people's profiles, just so I can say and feel I am loved. I've had my true nature suppressed, all in the name of love. I have been that people-pleaser, looking for love in all the wrong places. All respect, dignity, gone! Why? Because I thought love was all.
Not being me, has been wrecking, both emotionally and mentally. I have had fits of overthinking, emotional stress, all because of trying to be someone I ain't. But looking back, I see there was a lesson in all the chaos. You can't please everyone, nor can you be loved by everyone.
Often, the same people you try to please will still criticize you behind your back. I have witnessed people, I included, gossip/talk ill behind a person's back, who pretend to be someone who they are not. And if by chance you happen to stumble on such a scenario, the pain is much worse than stubbing your toe on a stool.
Criticism in society will never end. Never! So, why not be criticized for who I really am? Honestly, I think authenticity is sexy. Just being you is so adorable. You don't have to carry around masks for different people/occasions. You are good as you are! And that, my dear friends, is respectable.
Another thing I have learned is that, in respect, there comes a new kind of love. One that doesn't know borders. I have watched myself attract people that felt out of reach just because I put the mask down and decided to walk simply as me. It's like the moment you put down the mask, you unlock some doors you either had ignored or hadn't noticed. And although the road of walking authentically is always rough, it's a road worth taking.
