For Better or For Worse, Your Time Will Come

I am no bird, and no net ensnares me:I am a free human being with an independent will.

~ Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Hmmm,when your time comes, will you face into the wind?

Therecomes a time in everyone’s life when you are challenged to come to terms withwho you are. It is not simply about understanding how all the pieces cometogether although that is a part of the equation. The bigger step is when youdecide, or decide against, saying and meaning: For better or for worse, this is who I am. Take it or leave it.

Takingyour stand will not sit well with everyone. There will continue to be peoplewho will want to mold you into what they want you to be so you will followthem. These people will take an active dislike to you and you must be okay withtheir discontent.

Therewill be another category of person who will preach to you that must continuallystep outside your comfort zone and stretch yourself. You must be okay withtelling these people to piss off and leave you alone. They will be persistent.You must be equally persistent.

I amnot saying that you can give yourself carte blanche to thumb your nose atanyone you please. Discretion is the better part of valour and of common sense.There are times when saying nothing is the most appropriate response and speaksfor itself.

I amsaying there are also some tough choices you will need to make.

Youwill need to decide that it is better to be alone than to be with someone whodoes not respect who you are. The state of being alone is neither a penalty nora trial if you actively chose it. Learn to enjoy your own company.

You willneed to find the courage to stand on principle which can come with sacrificesattached. It can mean the end of some relationships. Sometimes you will do thispublicly and sometimes privately. There is a time and a place to speak up, anda time and a place to hold your peace but also hold your ground.

Youwill need to cultivate the ability to think for yourself. This means listeningto that innate sense you possess regarding truth versus lies. If alarm bellsring in your head, listen to them. Examine the evidence for yourself and drawyour own conclusions. Facts can be easily misrepresented. The truth remains tobe found, but only if you seek it out.

Youwill need to be prepared to go against the flow of the group or against thegeneral consensus. Make no mistake. This is not easy to do. You will be anoutsider. But know that there are always others on the outside with you even ifyou cannot perceive them.

You canbe blown by the wind of opinion or face into the wind. Choose wisely.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

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