Stop suppressing your joy or feeling ashamed about it just because others do not feel the same!
Do you remember that song by Carol King “Beautiful” …
“Waiting at the station … mirrored in their faces I see frustration growing and they don’t see it showing, why do I?
You gotta get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart! …”
She sang that song back in the 1970s. More than 50 years ago.
I frequently remember that song … And I remeber very vividly that during the first lockdowns I was somehow hiding my smile, my happiness. I did not want to appear as superficial. I didn’t want people to think “that she just doesn’t get the seriousness of that all”. Honestly, I did not want to get involved in conversations – because each time I shared the benefits I saw people were staring at me like if I was insane. Or at least I perceived it that way. People around me chose to focus on the bad and problematic aspects.
So I withdrew, I retreated. That was quite easy that time …
I left some of the circles that did not feel right any more. Or was I just recognizing for the first time that they had not been right all the time?
However, I found new circles. New people. Coaches. Communities. I didn’t feel as a freak any more, I realized that I was not the only (silent) rebel in town 😉.
Choosing to stay in uplifting thoughts and feelings does not mean to ignore the pain others go through.
Choosing joy over complaining does not mean to ignore the world’s challenges.
Choosing to smile at someone at the street regardless of them smiling back does not mean to be a unrealistic daydreamer.
Choosing to look for possibilities rather than obstacles does not mean to talk over people.
How a smile, joyfully singing out loud, dancing in the streets … is received by others is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to stay true to what we feel inside, without feeling ashamed (!) and uplift those who are ready for it while respecting and acknowledging those who are not – with an open heart and an open mind to listen and to learn their perspective!
Stop suppressing your joy or feeling ashamed about it just because others do not feel the same!
If you feel like some likeminded people and support is what you need right now –