Dare to be Original

In today's world of constant information clatter (and clutter) over the wide wide web, all we read, hear and see are echoes of others' words and thoughts and ideas. So many loud, cacophonous echoes of meaningless chatter, unnecessary opinions, tedious details and mindless gloating that everybody wants to compete with. All I ask and stress over is this - why can't you at least be original in what you say or do? Why choose to be an echo all the time?

Originality keeps diminishing in value.  Mediocrity flourishes thanks to the rampant, senseless use of Ctrl Cs and Ctrl Vs. It dampens my spirit. Don't you realize what a precious gem Authenticity is?

Why do you underestimate yourself? Why not step back from all the noise and reflect on who you truly are before seeking out to rob someone else's identity? Why don't you learn to express yourself in your own way without obsessively browsing through Pinterest or some other personal space for "inspiration"? Why are you letting your imagination rust by constantly wallowing in the strong currents of others' imagination? Isn't it a pity?

You are doing yourself a favor by being true to yourself.

Dare to have opinions that are not tweeted

Dare to wear clothes that are not in vogue, simply because you want to

Dare to read books that others don't talk about

Dare to not watch a movie that everybody insists you must watch

Dare to paint your walls in colors not recommended by the Internet

Dare to throw a party without a theme; and without relying on the collective consciousness of Pinterest.

Give your imagination a chance to work on its own

Dare to be original

Dare to be different and weird

Dare to think by yourself

Dare to express yourself the way you are

Dare to create something on your own, just your own, without plundering someone's ideas

Dare to write your own words and sentences to shape your own thoughts

Dare to admit not wanting to always be part of popular culture

Dare to step outside the box

But if you must seek inspiration and apply someone's original ideas, thoughts or words, please be gracious, generous and humble enough to acknowledge it. There is nothing more distasteful and disheartening than always lurking in someone's shadows and stealthily stealing that which is not yours. Be responsible with attributing credit. If it ain't yours, don't proclaim it to be.

Please resist the temptation to masquerade by disguising yourself in somebody else's cloak of identity. You have your own. Never forget to wear it  and showcase it with confidence.