I’ve been doing a lot of people-watching lately.
Okay, that sounds creepy.
Lets go with what the French call flânerie—the art of strolling, people-watching and just soaking up society in a leisurely mindful way.
And my goodness it’s exhausting, isn’t it? No, not people-watching—living in a world that tells us we’re only as good as how well we ‘fit in’.
Now, you know how much I love a metaphor, and sitting by the shimmery Adriatic Sea…
I couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly it just is. No need to fit any mold, no need to prove itself—it simply exists, beautifully and boldly.
These days, it’s easy to feel like we need to fit into someone else’s idea of who we should be.
And before you know it, you’re overdoing it or people-pleasing just to feel seen.
So, here are a few points taken from this beautiful place:
- Start owning who you are (it’s not pretending to be the Mediterranean, is it?)
- You are enough just as you are! (again, the Adriatic is not imitating anyone)
Authenticity shines through when you release the need to perform and just be.
Which brings me to the real question:
What makes you feel less than those you’re trying to impress?
Because genuine connections—your tribe—will see you for who you are. Together, you’ll liberate each other from the prison of conformity and walk ten feet taller
(almost as high as Dubrovnik’s fortified walls)!
To be fair, that thought has probably been rattling around ever since I saw that vivid celebratory street art in Stratford. But being close to the water always gets the juices flowing.
So let me leave you with this:
Be brave and have the courage to live authentically. Become the artist of your life and splash it with bold colours—much like those murals in Celebration Street!
and…
a wish for a Happy New Month
Dionne x