Feb 26, 2017
Have the courage to be your unique self
A year ago I visited New Orleans. I had not been there in over 20 years. It is a unique American city. It has fantastic food, warm weather, fascinating people, and can be a lot of fun. I saw some things that were disturbing — lots of drunks, too many homeless people, and a carefree lifestyle that creates destructive results. But, it is easy to see the bad things in a place like New Orleans and miss the good.
New Orleans is a unique city
One thing I noticed in New Orleans is that people are relaxed and able to be themselves. They show who they really are to the public. My sense is that too many people spend a lot of time and energy trying to please others and be someone different than who they really are. This constant concern about what others think about you creates unnecessary frustration and consternation. I am not saying to be weird or strange, just to draw attention to yourself. Rather I am saying that you are unique, so don’t be afraid to be yourself. For example, I like to smoke cigars. For years and years, I did not because I was worried about what others might say. Nowadays I enjoy a good cigar whenever I want to.
It’s just better to be yourself than to try to be some version of what you think the other person wants.
Matt Damon
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.
Related
I write a blog for my sons called Doug Keating Letter to Sons. I am sharing relevant content from my blog here. I hope you enjoyed it. All feedback is welcome. Thanks for reading it.
