You ever notice how the ocean is “free” because nobody wants to drink it?

Because if we could, the ocean would lose every ounce of freedom it has.

If the ocean were sweet, we'd bottle it all.

Put a label on it. Give it a price. Sell it back to ourselves.

But it's salty.

And weirdly enough, the very thing that makes it undesirable to consume is what allows it to remain wild… what gives it it’s freedom.

And I can't stop thinking about how life works the same way.

How much of ourselves have we watered down just to become easier for other people to swallow?

You laugh a little quieter.

Hide the thing you're obsessed with.

Change an opinion because you know the room won't like it.

Maybe you've even spent years trying to fix the parts of yourself someone once called “weird” or “awkward”.

And the truth is, whether it’s been subconscious or not… I've done it too.

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but the temptation to be someone you’re not is always there.

Because we live in a world where often times people will only accept the diluted version of you.

And once that happens you're trapped maintaining someone they like who isn't completely you.

We change who we are to be accepted by people we don’t even like.

Maybe some of the things you've been trying to remove aren't flaws, but filters.

Your “weird” interests, the beliefs you hold, the qualities you value, every minor idiosyncrasy that makes you you.

They won't be for everyone… and that’s okay. They never will be enough.

But they're also not supposed to be.

The same traits that push the wrong people away from you can be the same ones that pull the right people in.

Unfortunately, that's the part I think we forget.

We're so terrified of rejection that we never consider what rejection might be protecting us from.

Remember, it’s the harsh taste of salt in the ocean that gives it it’s freedom.

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I think a lot of self contentment stems from being okay with being disliked… being okay with not being understood.

Because the world loves labels.

Too loud. Too quiet. Strange. Difficult. Different.

But if you give people enough power of you, they'll happily bottle you into something only they can understand.

But you don't have to be put in a box, you don’t have to be contained.

You can spend your entire life becoming more acceptable and still never feel accepted, because somewhere underneath it all, you'll know deep down they only accepted the version of you that you specifically created for them.

So maybe stop trying to be everyone's glass of water.

Be the f**king ocean.

Deep. Salty. A little unpredictable.

And most importantly… completely impossible to bottle.

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Uncommon Wisdom