“Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others’ faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.” ― Rumi
Yesterday I posted this quote on my Facebook page. It really struck me as I read it, as how so many of us want to appear one way, but in reality we are something else.
Be it out of fear to be vulnerable or a plethora of other reasons that we tell ourselves- at some point or another in life- we have all hidden behind the façade of how we want others to perceive us, even if that isn’t who we are.
When I first started using the Internet back in the 90’s, I remember reading an article about how when people are ‘faceless’ (this was clearly before Instagram and selfies took over) that it is easy to pretend to be something we aren’t. It’s the digital world where some think ‘anything goes’ and so many did- (and maybe still do) use the Internet to become a fictional version of themselves. Granted, this isn’t also the case- but the article talked about how one could only pretend for around 3 months to be something other than who they are without ‘true self’ shining through.
It was then I developed my ‘3 month rule’ for meeting people face-to-face that I had originally met online. It has served me well over time. The one time I did not follow said rule- the person was nothing like they appeared to be, and thankfully they weren’t an axe-murderer.
Even in face-to-face relationships with people in our lives- we often hold back- only sharing what we know will be accepted, which is in contradiction to the aforementioned quote.
“Appear as you are. Be as you appear.” Think about it for a moment, and ask yourself this question.. Do you appear as you are? And are YOU as you appear?