Happy Authenticity - Ep. 402

Happy Authenticity means you follow your own path, Not to impress others, or to keep them off your back, But because, maybe, you prefer cartooning to theoretical math, And you love what you have, rather than hating what you lack. [full text below] Ep. 402 - Happy Authenticity We begin as always with the Happy Creed. We believe in Happy, in Balance and Growth, of being Mindful and Grateful, Compassionate and Understanding. Yowza Haha My Happy Friends! I used to try to conform to what other people thought I should be, I wore long pants and studied science despite preferring art and wearing shorts, I signed my name in cursive, and ate whatever was put in front of me, Which led to bitterness, nervousness and record-breaking nausea by all reports. I wanted people to like me and to want to be my friend, Like that time in my early youth when I was positively adored, Before fears and growing pains marked a distinctly downward trend, And I was both mocked and shunned by an ever-growing horde. I become increasingly desperate to turn things back around, But no matter what I did, it seemed to be the exact wrong thing, No matter the tactic or effort, I seemed forever to be losing ground, Still, I hoped life was a pendulum and that I was eventually due an upswing. But there’s something to be said for being friendless, for it means having no peers, Since without those, one has no peer pressure, which makes conforming a waste, And so I was free to work on myself and to, one by one, dismantle my own fears, Allowing me to pursue my own interests according to my own sense of good taste. I could freely admit that I didn’t like certain foods, or long pants, or cursive letters, I allowed myself to be silly when I felt like it and quiet when I ran out of things to say, I pursued the arts, stopped going to church, and refused to wear pullover sweaters, I hung out in cemeteries contemplating the universe, and managed to find my own way. Because I gave myself the freedom to try new things to see what would stick, If I started a new hobby that didn’t last, well, I could at least say I tried, And because I didn’t need the approval of others, their demands had no kick, I could also be totally honest with myself because who would prefer that I lied? Happy Authenticity means you follow your own path, Not to impress others, or to keep them off your back, But because, maybe, you prefer cartooning to theoretical math, And you love what you have, rather than hating what you lack. So, does this mean I sleep out in the wilds with neither job nor home? Not at all, I earn my rent doing office work and helping out where I can, But I also write, draw and dream, letting my heart soar and my soul roam, Making my life into something I like, as Happy now as it was when it all began. Haha Yowza