By: Kai Williams
I once walked in someone’s shadow, and it took me a few months to realise that I didn’t know who I was. I was lost. Lost in the shadow of someone I aspired to be. I told myself that I had to be as talented and as funny as the individual who I compared myself to daily.
It’s very easy for us as human beings to strive to be like those who appear to be more successful, more popular or even happier. Although I believe that we are able to learn valuable lessons from the lives of others, we often reach a point where we know so much about others, yet so little about ourselves. And so, sometimes, we either lose ourselves trying to chase someone else’s dream or walk in someone else’s shadow.
A shadow usually emerges when an object hinders a ray of light. In this situation, the “object” was the individual who I compared myself to, and I tried to emulate her behaviour by religiously following her shadow. I was completely oblivious to the fact that she blocked my view of the light, until one day, I stopped and I realised that the light which I could not see was a symbol of truth and joy – two elements which had been absent from my life.
Therefore, I now know that for as long as I live, on I will find people who are more academically inclined, people who dance with more grace or even run faster than I do, and that’s okay. We can’t all hit the high notes and shatter the same wine glasses. Someone has to sing tenor or alto. Someone has to play the instruments while someone else has to direct. Hence, a violinist and a pianist cannot be compared because each has a different role in the orchestra. Each human being is an instrument in the orchestra of life.
Love yourself. Embrace yourself. Appreciate yourself. There is no one in the world exactly like you. Therefore, you are valuable.
However, if you still want to compare yourself to someone, here’s my advice. Compare the person you were yesterday to the person you are today. Do not walk in the shadows of others, rather embrace your own light, and create your own shadows.
So this week, look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I am beautiful, and I am strong. I am neither superior nor inferior to my peers and I am bold enough to face all my fears”.
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