Monday, August 29, 2011

embrace your true self

" everybody is a genius.  
but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a 
tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
- albert einstein

i read this quote a few weeks ago and it has been haunting me ever since.  
i wish so badly i could convince everyone in the world of this truth.

for some reason, many of us have the belief that we must be just like _____ [fill in the blank: actors? models? whatever your peers seem to like? musicians? whatever your parents told you to be? rocket scientists? quarterbacks?].  whatever or whoever it is that you think you must be is not
necessarily who you are nor who you were meant to be.

just think, what if rosa parks had decided she needed to be something other than herself?
or what if albert einstein listened to his critics who thought he didn't fit the mold of an intellectual?
and what if you, because of your belief that you're not good enough in some way, never live out the extraordinary things you were born to do in this life?

{photo}

it is my sincerest hope that we can all embrace our unique gifts, abilities, and life paths,
regardless of what anyone else {especially our inner critic} has to say about it.


22 comments:

  1. Wow. I'm just heading off to bed now, Kim, and I'll be thinking about this as I drift off to sleep. Fabulous. Hopefully I'll dream of all the amazing things I can do and be if I just believe in myself!

    Thanks! Sweet dreams,
    E xo

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  2. That was such a good reminder, Kim. Thanks so much for sharing, I really needed it!

    Belly B :)

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  3. Love that quote! It would be great if everyone thought that was true:)

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  4. Wow I love this. I love it so much I want to share it with my friends and blog readers. I'm linking you on my blog if you don't mind. Excellent post!

    - Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/

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  5. A lovely thought on a Monday morning. Love that print Kim! I just heard that first quote (fish/squirrel) for the first time two weeks ago and LOVED it. Hope you're having a good morning!

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  6. your blog is so inspiring, can I just say how much I love that quote? thank you for sharing this with us!

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  7. Such a fantastic post today Kim :) And that quote by Einstein is so, so true! It makes me recall that famous TED talk with Ken Robinson - how he said that arts aren't as revered at school, so children who excel at the arts end up believing they aren't good at anything. We really do need to embrace this concept more - that we all need to be our own leaders and go on our own path. Such an inspiring post :)

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  8. What a perfect quote to start the week!

    Thanks, Kim!

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  9. Sigh. This is so incredibly absolutely true. We all have gifts and to not use them is a shame for all involved.

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  10. this is a really special post, kim. you put it so well and that quote really resonated with me. happy monday!

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  11. Awesome quote! I often feel like I'm struggling to fit into a mold that just isnt me. I struggle daily with it and hope one day to have the courage to make my own mold. I just need to figure out what that is.

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  12. Kim, I'm going to carry this with me for the rest of the week. Thank you.

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  13. i love the quote- it always reminds me you have to follow your inner guide with what you are supposed to be in this world. have you read the book- follow your north star? the quote reminds me of the book

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  14. great quote!! and so true. my friend just told spoke similar words to me. She said that we all have a purpose. It matter that we live and that we know that our lives matter.

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  15. One of my favorites, and so true. I think I'm still figuring this one out with each passing day.

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  16. Beautiful post... so well said & amazing quote! I alway picture it when I read it, ha!

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  17. This is so true. One of my favorite things about working with kids is getting to help them figure out what their strenghs are, and giving them the skills to succeed with them. I love the graphic!

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  18. I have to tell you, it was when I read this quote that I realized I needed to leave my PhD program. I knew I didn't fit in. For awhile, I thought I just wasn't smart enough, but I know I'm smart. It's simply a different sort of intelligence, and I'm best searching for the right place for me rather than staying in the wrong one and trying to be that fish climbing a tree.

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  19. Thank you. As always--just what I needed to hear today.

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  20. That quote makes me think immediately of some of our special ed students who have certain learning disabilities, and therefore can't process information in the way we traditionally "teach" it. It's so sad. My school, thankfully, is so progressive and equity-focused, but still, we all need practice recognizing everyone's individual capacities to learn. Thanks for the reminder!

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