“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” (Emerson).  The message that Emerson is trying to express to his readers is that a self-directed route is the only route that can lead to real contentment and pleasure.  Today’s society teaches us that conformity is the easiest and most successful path to follow.  We are told how to act, what we should believe in, what we should wear, who we should be like, etc.  In contrast, Henry David Thoreau believes that being yourself will benefit you and the people surrounding you.  As a core belief of mine, I believe that everyone should be themselves and therefore I believe in Thoreau’s ideas. 

By not being yourself, you are denying others around you the opportunity to understand and get to know the real you.  Not only are you denying others this opportunity, you are also denying yourself the same opportunity.  Thoreau is always stressing the importance of “being yourself [and] not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.”  He is clarifying the importance of focusing on how you view yourself and not how others will view you.  To understand his meaning better compare life to a stage enactment and the actors playing the parts as the people you associate with on a daily basis.  You will see that everyone has their own role to fill and no one can play your role better than you.  Only you can make the best you.  Today society teaches us, especially in young teens and children, that being different means gambling with the risk of rejection.  We make every effort to try to fit in and be like everybody else, but Thoreau tells us that conformity, causes discomfort and displeasure.  Being ourselves will not only effect the way we view and see ourselves, but the people around us will gain the chance and ability to understand our true selves. 

Being yourself heightens your creativity.  Thoreau says, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”  He is telling his readers that if you set your goals to a standard you feel is too hard or near impossible to pursue, you should not give up on achieving them, but rather work harder and never give up.  “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” (Emerson)  Everyone makes mistakes, but moving forward and learning from them is the best remedy.  Learning from our mistakes is what shapes us into who we are.  As you are exploring and discovering your goals in forms of talents, hobbies, and your inner thoughts and opinions, you will discover who you really are along the way through your mistakes and achievements.  When you have successfully accomplished these goals, you will become content and happy with your life.  When you are successful, others around you will learn from your accomplishments and soak in the positivity and excitement you will be transmitting from the fulfillment of your goals and aspirations.  

You cannot be someone else as they are already taken.  You cannot change the family you are born into or the situations you will learn to overcome.  “What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” (Thoreau)  Thoreau is explaining to his readers that it does not matter what you are born into or what situations you have experienced or are going to experience in the future.  What matters is the way you act upon these situations.  For example, a person born into poverty has to work additionally harder and put in the extra time and effort in order to make the life he or she desires.  A person born into this situation has to come to terms with the hand he or she is dealt and learn to overcome the odds.  On the other hand, a person born into a wealthy family, may have to work just as hard to make a name and future for him or herself by proving that the use of his or her wealth was not involved.  You do not get a second chance at life, you only get the one you were born into.  You can learn to change and alter that life by recognizing and achieving greatness through hard work and dedication.

Did you that the number one regret before death is living with remorse and being too scared to show who you really are.  We often lose ourselves in social media, family, friends, and even strangers.  We are taught how to dress and what to wear, who we should be like, what we believe in, and so forth.  Henry David Thoreau recognizes the stress that society places on our shoulders every day.  He explains that being yourself will lead to contentment, happiness, and make life a whole lot less stressful.  I believe with Thoreau’s ideas and thoughts about staying true to yourself.  Therefore, it has become one of my most important core beliefs.