Keeping it real

It’s hard to embrace that different is good and that shining in our own light can be a joyous path when society increasingly wants us herded into manageable groups.  Indeed we seem to have reached a point where standing up for what we believe in comes with financial risk, fear of rejection and alienation. Nevertheless, if we don’t, what will become of us?

I once watched Secondhand Lions with Michael Caine and Robert Duvall. The film highlights that some “truths” may not necessarily reflect reality but are still worth believing in because they inspire us to become better people: that honour, courage and kindness matter more than money and power and that love and goodness ultimately triumph over evil. These words quietly challenge me whenever life tests my principles and remind me who I want to be.

They also tie in with one of the three key pieces of advice my father gave me: “Kid everyone else, but don’t kid yourself.”  Being true to ourselves, however, isn’t easy. How often do we ignore our gut instinct because we think we ought to do something, even when we know deep down it isn’t right?

Often, because we’ve invested years of dedication or heaps of money in a project or relationship we endure situations that no longer sit comfortably with our values, sacrificing time with family and sometimes even our health. Standing up for justice can be intimidating, even frightening.

Going against the grain is rarely easy, but to those brave enough to stand apart, accept themselves and stand up for others, that is the finest kind of wealth and surely worth striving for far more than anything money will ever buy.