Pro-tip: If you love something, there is nothing embarrassing about it. It’s a part of who you are and you flipping ROCK.
Hopefully, he comes around to wearing this outside of the house because winter is coming and he is SO cute in this hat! I love the contrast of evil skulls and adorable rainbow pajamas, genius.
I know this anxiety isn’t some kid thing that we grow out of because HOW MANY times have I felt exactly like this?? The other day I was at a restaurant with a friend when an old Pearl Jam song came on the TV and I wanted to jam out to it, but quickly decided I’d better not because someone might think less of me for liking anything as mainstream as Pearl Jam. But, the truth of it is that those songs came along in my life at a time when their messages were particularly meaningful and helped me along with my journey. For whatever reason. I honestly can’t remember how they helped me. But, that deep feeling of YES is still there when I hear the songs. They’re a part of me and there’s nothing about that to be ashamed of.
Sure, there are people who might not like that hat. Maybe someone will see it and think we are too punk rock, and there’s another person who will see it and think we aren’t punk rock enough and that we’re just using skull symbolism to make ourselves feel more punk rock. You might think, oh geez, who cares?! My point exactly. Most people will see a cute kid in a fun hat.
It’s the same for whatever thing you love, but feel embarrassed in letting out into the world. Maybe for you, it’s a bright red jacket, a sparkly men’s necklace, or that funky pair of glasses that you could never pull off. Make no mistake, there ARE people who will judge you for these things. But, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with their own internal stories.
If someone don’t like your sparkly men’s necklace, then it isn’t because you’re a dangerous person who thinks outside of the box. It’s because they are a scared person who is afraid of what might be outside the box if they looked. They are a person afraid of what they might do if they erased the rule that said: “men don’t wear necklaces.” What other rules might they erase, then?
If they erase them, will their friends and family reject them for it?
If anyone rejects you for loving what you love, then they aren’t your people and you don’t need them. Your people exist and they will revel in your authenticity. You’ll only find them by letting the things you love out into the world and trusting that love will come back to you in return.
Trust what you love, friends, it won’t steer you wrong.
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This post was previously published on the author’s blog and is republished here with permission.
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Photo credit: The author