We Need More You

How many times have you sat in a meeting agreeing with everything everyone else was saying regardless of whether you agreed with what was being said or not? How many times have you gotten dressed, looked in the mirror and went back to the closet 3 or 4 times to change – looking for something others will approve of?

Whether we recognize it or not, as humans, we have a tendency to put on a face, subdue our true selves, or look for common ground to fit in. It’s human instinct to seek acceptance and avoid rejection. We’ll bend over backward, rethink our beliefs and principles, and conform in exchange for acceptance, approval, and to avoid discomfort.

What if we had pushed back in that meeting? Would we have had a better shot at the promotion we were passed over for? What if we wore that first outfit we chose? Would we have stood out at that brewery and caught the eye of that person at the bar?

Conformity is the most dangerous decision we make in our lives.

Be you!

We need more you.

Stop trying to fit in. Stop measuring yourself against outside forces.

Compare and despair

Don’t look for permission from others. Do what you feel is best.

Have the courage to express your convictions.

We need more of you.

We don’t need more people agreeing. We don’t need validation of the known. We need more identification of the unknown.

We don’t need more blue suits. (We need more plaid shirts. ) 😉

We don’t need more yes men and yes women.

We need more you.

We need you to speak up

We need you to tell us what you think. Not what you’ve been told.

We need more different, and less the same.

Yes, different makes us uncomfortable. But the more comfortable we get being uncomfortable, the more ideas, creativity, and new thoughts flourish.

We ask for permission too often. We rarely notice it, but it’s there. When we wonder if our outfit looks good, we’re asking permission. When we wonder if we should question that new idea, we’re asking permission. When we wonder if the car we drive is cool enough, we’re asking permission. When we wonder if we should speak up, we’re looking for permission.

Asking permission is our way of gaining acceptance and fitting in. The more we are validated, the more we feel good about ourselves. But what if we didn’t need permission?

What if we just gave more of ourselves and asked for permission, less? What if?

We need more you.  Let’s try it out and see what happens.

Do more you!