I keep thinking about all the mistakes I made or what seem like mistakes to me and cringe inwardly. Oh God, oh shit...! What is this stupid mistake going to cost me? What are they going to think? How dumb was that? How weird? I should have kept my mouth shut? I should have opened up a bit more? Maybe not so much? Maybe they'll perceive that the wrong way? Maybe that was too direct? Or intense? Maybe they already have a bad impression? Maybe this and maybe that. And then I have to sort of sit myself down and put things in perspective. I am never going to be the ‘normal’ type. I am never going to say the polite non-committal inane banal nothings because that's what everyone expects you to say. I am never going to straddle the diplomatic fine line. I am never going to please or appease everybody. I am never going to be apologetic about being authentic. I am never going to project what I don't believe or mean. I have to ask myself would I rather be a person who says or does all those things... or I'd rather be me? Would I rather be someone who stands for something, passionately and with all my heart, or someone who lukewarmly flows with everything? Would I rather not be just who I am even with my social bumblings? Isn't it those idiosyncrasies and oddities that make us refreshing and interesting? Why fit into a cookie cutter when you can be your own unique shape? The world will of course punish you the more different you are… it will try to push you into a box, it will try to stifle your voice, it will make you second guess your worth... but you know what, you have to push it right back and claim your rightful place under the sun. Don’t let anyone dim your shine, as they say!