More than once I have been told that I march to the beat of a different drum. What does this mean? The different drum is my own. I prefer to follow my heart and march to its beat rather than respond to pressure outside myself.
What is this pressure I am speaking of? The pressure to act, look and be like others. Not that I do this all the time: I am a work in progress. I am not speaking here of radically going against culture but to be motivated by love, peacefully doing what has integrity for me and for my health and to be motivated by a love for others.
You see, the pressure we feel to be like others often goes against our call to love and what is best for our health. Sometimes these external pressures can be conflicting. For me it can be the pressure to eat what others are eating and to be thinner when I know that with my genetics my weight would increase.
Following my heart at first was frightening. Would I belong if I didn’t do what my friends were doing? Where would I fit? Then there was the scary task of facing myself. Without the pressure of mimicking the crowd, I was forced to look deeply inside. At first, hating myself was the focus. I was afraid of this person. After all, I hadn’t sought her opinion, nor had I listened to her. It took time to know her and to build the strength to trust her.
In the end, marching to the beat of my own drum brought me peace. Listening to my inner voice reduced the conflict I had lived with for so long. The internal war ceased, and I learned what made me happy. Now I could be productive rather than wasting my energy fighting myself and pleasing others.
Expressing ourselves rather than pleasing others is fulfilling. Personal achievement brings great satisfaction that cannot be experienced by fitting in with the crowd.
Do you know the sound of your own drum? Believe me, it is most satisfying to hear it and march to its beat. If you want to chat about hearing yourself, message me for a chat.
In love, Jenny
