Life is a difficult thing to live. Somewhere between learning to walk and the day you read this, disappointment replaced excitement, routine replaced curiosity and fear replaced happiness.We tend to lose our sense of amazement, looking at life through a camera lens.  We seek to create moments to capture on film to impress people we barely even know. We chase acceptance from other people, to feel better about ourselves. Within that action lies two critical mistakes, linked, definitely. 1. You are being defined by others. 2. You don’t accept the beautiful you. What you do, is determined by what people like. Not what you like. We claim political and financial freedom, often losing humanity in the process. Your chains is not your wallet, your country, government or religion. It’s you.

We need to escape the mindset of life owning us something. Opportunities, happiness, love. That is something you owe yourself. It’s everywhere. You won’t see it, because you don’t live through your own eyes. Buy the shirt you feel good in, not look good in. Eat the food that you enjoy, even if it makes you fat. Go running, not to lose weight, but to feel good about yourself. The trick is as long as you know who you are and what makes you happy, it really doesn’t matter how other people see you. Acceptance is a personal thing.

It’s not your job to accept or judge other people. See the guy with a parrot tatted on his face, smiling? See the gay, or interracial couple holding hands in the park, clearly more happy than words can describe? Good. That’s acceptance. And happiness followed. You can’t judge a person by the chapter you walked in on their story.

Life is actually not that difficult. In fact. Accept yourself, enjoy other people’s happiness and don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs now, is people who have come alive.