Being Who We Are

"In truth, there are always two reasons to be who we are.  It is how we find love, and it is how we keep the ways of others from sweeping us away."  Mark Nepo

It seems in life that there are many pressures to be something or someone other than what we are.  Well trained from early childhood, we often opt for pleasing others in order to have a sense of belonging and being loved, and it is important for us to know that this is not insignificant.  To belong is a strong basic instinct, one which has its basis in survival.  Our ancestors were not likely to survive unless they were part of a group.  That instinct remains in us today, and it is with conscious effort that we train ourselves to please ourselves instead of others.  We cannot truly be loved unless we first love ourselves.