How many times have we heard the admonition from a parent, a teacher, a pastor, a sibling, a friend or anyone for that matter – be yourself. Those words may cause us to ponder why are we being told to do so. Usually, those words are used when it is deemed that we are trying to be someone else. Sometimes it is a reflection of a situation that we have to face, and we are very fearful. In the latter situation, the words are merely an encouragement to overcome the fear.

Some of us can remember the lyrics of the songs: Express Yourself or My Way, the latter was made popular by Frank Sinatra and then Tom Jones. My Way used to be one of my favorite songs when I was growing up.  I really believed the lyrics too.

How can we really know who we really are? How can we be ourselves, if we do not even know who we really are? Who even determines who we really are? Are we trying to be someone else consciously or subconsciously? Are we, as they say 'yes' men, or 'yes' women? This is food for thought.

We cannot be anyone else. We all have unique qualities that no one else in this world has. Our fingerprints, as we all know, are different. The lens of our eyes are allegedly different. No one can fake our fingerprints even if they really tried.

Even in one family, each child has a different personality. Yes, I agree that sometimes they think similar thoughts, and they make the same kind of decisions sometimes. However, none of them are carbon copies of the other, though. Why should they be anyway? Each is actually different. With the exception of multiple births, such as twins, triplets, quadruplets and the others, each was born on a different day, time and year.  Even the birth experience differs.

It is very important that each of us be ourselves. It is in making that decision to be who we really are, that we discover our full potential to be the person we were created to be.

Well, that is a question only you can answer.  Generally, we are influenced by our parents, siblings, extended family, teachers, pastors, classmates, neighbors, church and other institutions.  We are also influenced by what we read, listen to, look at and watch.  We either accept the information we are exposed to, or we reject it.  However, our true selves may be revealed by the things we say, write about or do, if we are being honest in our expressions.

When we interpret things one way, but express it differently, we deceive ourselves in our attempt to deceive others.  People who copy the writing of others, and present it as their own, are deceiving themselves.  If everyone writes their own views on a particular topic, they have the capability of doing just as well as other writers, or even better.  We will never really know if they fail to be themselves.

The same applies to music.  Did you really write the lyrics you claimed you wrote?  Were you the original musician for that piece of music?  Why bother to pretend to be someone else? Why take credit for what someone has toiled over, and tweaked to perfection?  Is that merely laziness, or is it ignorance?  Why not show the world how great you are?

What if the great inventors in the past were only copycats? What if they only wanted to take credit for what someone else had done. I think nothing would really be invented. We more than likely would still be in the Dark Ages. I wonder what would life be like? Perhaps very dull and uninteresting. I am so thankful that inventors were not afraid to launch out, to be different, to be laughed at, to be ridiculed, to be scorned, to be imprisoned, to be frustrated and to even fail repeatedly. I am even more thankful that they kept trying regardless.

Inventors did not get it right the first time. They tried over and over and over again. Thomas Edison admitted he had thousands of trials and errors before he was able to introduce his inventions to the world. What if he gave up? I am so glad he did not. He wanted to be himself. Thanks to his perseverance we can now enjoy the fruit of his labor.

There were also inventors who improved on the inventions of others to create a more advanced version. Henry Ford became the inventor of the model T in 1908. He made great improvements to the automobile that was already in existence. What if he decided not to do that? Some of us would not be driving a vehicle manufactured by Ford Motor Company today. His legacy continues to outlive him. Like Edison, he tried several times before he eventually succeeded.

The father of Orville and Wilbur Wright had retorted that if God wanted man to fly, he would have made us with wings. I am thankful those boys were not discouraged by those words. Their mother encouraged them to observe birds and their movement. This training led them to build successfully the first engine powered airplanes. Can you imagine the times they were propelled into the air, only to be quickly submerged on the ground? They had to make the airplane perfect for their time. Then others could take the banner to make modern flight what it is today. Now we can enjoy travel across the world. What if they were convinced by their father? What if one of those times of disappointment they decided to give up?

What about the internet? What if J. Licklider did not invent the internet in 1962? How could we enjoy the convenience of the internet? Hubpages would perhaps not exist. How would we even observe and enjoy the multiplicity of skills available for us? Did it occur to you that with over 400,000 members who joined hubpages, every member has been able to find a unique title for the chosen topic? The internet makes life so much easier. Many of us would perhaps not even have an income, nor the current way of life we are now accustomed to.

One of the interesting facts about inventors, is that they all seem to rely on the earlier inventions of others. They brought their development to the next level, by improving on it. The truth is none of us is totally self-sufficient. We do need others input to become who we really are. However, we have a responsibility to give the other person credit. This brings to mind the invention of the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell gets full credit for the invention of the telephone, but his assistant Thomas A. Watson had a very significant part to play in the invention too. How many times has Watson's name been linked to the invention? There are other people who assist with the development of a thought, a patent, a discovery, a song, a book or something else, as a shadow to the inventor. Yet we rarely hear about them. What if that individual did not do his part? Would the invention have taken place?

We all need to recognize the Creator as the giver of gifts. Give Him credit for giving you the abilities that you possess. The fact is that He exists, whether you believe it or not. Then, ask for guidance to be the person He created you to be. In this way you can be yourself...and not try to be someone else.

You can lead with confidence and take credit, or you can continue to live in the shadow of someone else, who you may consider to be better than you. Did it ever occur to you, that you, and only you, may consider that person's skills to be better than yours. You need to know your gifts, skills, capabilities and talents. Then you can begin to fulfill your potential.

I admonish everyone to arise. Do what is enjoyable. Do it to the best of your ability, take credit, but acknowledge that your gift came from God. Then, and only then will you really begin to enjoy life. You will contribute to society in ways you never even imagined. Life will be good.

One day we will all leave this earth. We actually do not have a choice. In the end, can we really say:I lived my life to the fullest. I enjoyed the good things in life. I made positive contributions to the lives of others. I helped many people along the way.

Will our Creator say to us: Well done...good and faithful servant. or will we be astonished at the words: Depart from me for I never knew you. It would be too late then. The choice is ours while we are still alive. Just be yourself.