Back in the day, Salt-n-Pepa had a song called Express Yourself. In part the lyrics go:
Express yourself, you gotta be you and only you, babe
Express yourself, and let me be me
Express yourself, don’t tell me what I cannot do, baby
Come on and work your body
Self-expression is so important as it allows you to share your thoughts, feelings and/or your ideas with others. It’s about being the very best that we can be. It has nothing to do with anyone else or their opinions of how we should be. There are so many people that are afraid to express themselves due to the fact that others try to shame them for being who they are. Let me tell you this; THEY ARE WRONG. When you express yourself, you’re putting your ideas and thoughts about what moves you out there. It’s all about you. Will everyone agree with you? No, they won’t. However, though it may be scary to practice self-expression, it shouldn’t stop you from expressing who you really are.
“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an ass of yourself.” ~ Oscar Wilde
Recently, it was reported in the news that Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, is being criticized for his protest. In short, he wouldn’t stand when the national anthem was playing before a pre-season game. To read more about his protest and his reasons for why he sat down during the national anthem, click here. Let me be clear, I’m not in agreement with how he’s handling the situation. I do believe that It could be handled so much differently, but, that’s me. His protest is peaceful, not violent. Unlike other things we’ve seen in the news, he’s expressed with passion how HE feels about something. He exercised his first amendment right with freedom of speech. In all, he’s expressing himself. We don’t have to agree with it, but we should respect it.
Self-expression is part of your self-discovery journey. Whatever we do, we should do it with passion. What usually holds us back from expressing ourselves fully? Is it fear of rejection? Does the fear of being judged by others scare you? Or it’s fear of making a fool out of ourselves? Yes, it’s all of these things and more. We tend to focus on what other people think about us that we forget who we are in the process. It becomes all about them; not us. This is not the time to become silent. It’s time to step out into who you are. Express yourself.
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.” ~ Harvey Fierstein
Not everyone out there is going to like what you do or what you have to say. It’s okay. That’s the best thing about this country. We have the right to disagree without punishment. I can’t say without criticism. There are so many critics out there. Nonetheless, you should feel comfortable to do or say anything that makes you feel good towards your life and your passions. Think of ways that you can express yourself. Perhaps you have an outfit that you’ve been wanting to wear, but you’re too afraid that someone will say something. Find the courage to wear it. Getting a new hairdo, wearing different color nail polish from what you normally wear, buy and wear a new bold color lipstick, whatever turns you on. Do what makes you happy. Remember, it’s all about you, what you like and what makes you want to express yourself.
“Do your own thing on your own terms and get what you came here for” ~ Oliver James
As we come to a close, the bottom line to all of this is to find what makes you happy and then do it. If others try to put you down, remember it’s their problem; not yours. You can’t control them or their thoughts about you. You control how you choose to react to it. #DoYou. #ExpressYourself the way you want to. This is your life. Do whatever makes you happy.
You can check out Salt-n-Pepa’s video, Express Yourself here.
Hi there! It’s nice to meet you! I’m a successful single mama, mental health advocate, sports fan, blogger and all around fun person helping other overwhelmed and stressed women entrepreneurs to get hope, have faith and be inspired to push through their depression and anxiety so they too can live the life of their dreams. Say hello! I would love to meet you! 🙂
