TOWARD A LIVING AND CONSCIOUS IDENTITY — Part 2
The Quiet Strength of Self-Acceptance: Learning to Stand Tall in a Divided World.
In the first part of this series, we explored how identity is not a fixed state but a living system. We also acknowledged how important it is to learn to see ourselves without judgement.
Today, we move closer to the heart of that system: the art of accepting yourself—even when the world tries to divide you.
Accepting Yourself and Standing Tall — Even in Contradiction
Still, it’s important to admit: if we spend our lives rejecting certain parts of ourselves, we make personal growth far more difficult than it already is.
The world will never stop trying to categorize us. The traps of identity return again and again—like the relentless waves of a sea that never sleeps.
There will always be someone who only sees our flaws, our contradictions. Someone who looks down on us without ever taking the time to know us.
Sometimes all it takes is a glance to be judged—for our wealth or poverty, our appearance, our skin color, our religion, our nationality, our culture, our habits, our job, our tastes, our preferences.
There are countless reasons why a human being can be rejected, isolated, or condemned—before they’ve even taken a single step.
So what do we do in those moments?
What do we do when it burns, when it hurts, when it overwhelms us?
I smile.
Not out of indifference, but by choice.
I accept what I can’t change—or what I have no desire to change just to please others.
I don’t justify myself.
I move forward at my own pace, sometimes slowly, sometimes in silence.
And I’m learning to welcome pain… just as I sometimes welcome sweetness.
Because yes, there are also moments when people appreciate me for who I am—for my skin color, for my culture, for my difference.
It’s a tender feeling, almost sweet.
But I’m wary of sweetness just as I am of bitterness.
I try not to lose myself—neither in the praise nor in the wounds.
I don’t become someone because of the world.
I become someone for myself.
And yet, I have gotten lost—many times.
Out of fear. Out of impatience. Out of loneliness.
There are still moments when I look at myself and don’t understand everything.
Times when I grow tired of my own choices, my own path.
And for an adult, one of the deepest identity traps is money.
That mirage we keep chasing—pushed by emotion, by how others see us, by the urgency to “succeed.”
Without realizing it, we postpone what we truly want—for a tomorrow that, more often than not, never comes.
Adulthood is harsh.
It’s a ruthless world where most people are seeking their own gain.
And in that race, we become vulnerable—easily influenced.
Others, consciously or not, try to pull us into their dreams, into their own identity quests.
So I pause.
And I ask myself: Is this really what I want?
Is this path mine?
This person I’m becoming… is it who I want to be?
If I stay quiet, if I listen, if I wait a little—the answer always comes.
It’s there, hidden somewhere deep inside me.
In short, it is vital to learn how to observe yourself, to study yourself without judgment.
To accept your contradictions.
Not to justify.
Not to defend.
Just to be.
To act.
And let your actions speak for themselves.
Because sometimes, simply existing in peace with yourself is already a form of revolution.
If something here resonated, here are a few questions to carry with you:
When was the last time you made a choice to please others at the expense of your peace—and what would change if you stopped doing that?
Which parts of yourself do you still feel the need to justify—and what might happen if you simply allowed them to exist without defense?
What signals tell you that you’re chasing someone else’s version of success instead of your own—and how can you realign with what truly matters to you?
No pressure.
If you feel like sharing, leave a comment or send me a DM. I’ll be glad to listen and reply.
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Until next time, stay gentle with your becoming.
Warmly,
The Mirror Room – First Edition