Are you in your Natural Habitat?

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐚, 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞.

But first, picture this: imagine a fish trying to survive on land, gasping for air and struggling to move. Why? Because it's in a foreign habitat, lacking the conditions it needs to thrive. It won’t be able to survive for long in this condition unless it finds its way back to its natural habitat.

This powerful analogy reflects our own lives when we also fail to align with our true selves. When we live in a manner that contradicts our true nature, we find ourselves in an unnatural habitat, with a fictional self, struggling to breathe and be free. We are like fish out of water, fighting against the very essence of our being.

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. When we deny our gifts, passions, values, and true purpose, we create an internal discord that hinders our growth and happiness. We may try to adapt and conform to these unnatural conditions, we may even succeed at it like Jara did, but ultimately, we will always feel out of place and unfulfilled.

Now to Jara’s story.

Jara is an artist at heart. They started drawing and painting without being taught. However, despite their passion for painting, they are coerced into studying computer science due to family expectations and the promise of a high-paying career in tech.

With no genuine interest in programming, Jara struggles through college, spending precious hours on a path that doesn't align with their authentic self. Against all odds, Jara finishes college and even becomes the valedictorian, but at what cost?

The journey to this achievement is marked by immense struggle, a stark contrast to the effortless joy and mental stimulation they experience when they are drawing and painting.

Had Jara followed their passion, their innate talent for drawing and painting would have flourished naturally. They would have had a much more fun and fulfilling experience in college. They would still have worked hard, but it would have felt like play because they were in their natural habitat.

Are you familiar with this script? Either from experience or from movies. 😀

Again, this story serves as a powerful reminder that living inauthentically is an uphill battle against our very nature. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬, 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐚’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨? To continue on this path or find their way back to art?

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You're a gem 💎, remember that. Keep living your bedazzled life, one day at a time.