People try to shove information down our throats on a daily basis. They are simply advocating for a solution or for mere conversation about a conflict that hits close to their home (and maybe yours). I don’t want to divert your attention away from the the fact that some of these topics make people uncomfortable beyond belief.

I’m no longer uncomfortable. I’m eager. 

I live in a country of racial divide and the discrimination of people with different sexual orientations. I also live in a country that gives me the freedom to love and care for whoever I want whether my peers are comfortable or accepting of that, or not. In some locations it is different, but I guess that is my point. Many people are uncomfortable speaking about the hatred of others in our country. In NO way am I saying that our country ignores the topic. The news doesn’t ignore it and I know people are advocating for change, but I am saying that it makes people uncomfortable. I used to be one of those people.

I became comfortable being uncomfortable.

Conversations such as, what it is to be a man are no longer uncomfortable for me. They used to be. This isn’t my claim to the blogging world that I am a gentlemen above all because that simply isn’t true, but I have made great strides and I am proud of that. I used to preach compassion and empathy, (deserving a comeback… pun intended), but I always felt like a hypocrite. I don’t feel that way anymore. Speaking about racial divide or the real definition of being a man is no longer uncomfortable for me. There was only one thing I had to do.

Get used to it. 

That is my advice. Get used to the uncomfortable topics. The quicker you do, the easier it is to improve yourself. Get used to the position in society that tells you that you aren’t perfect because guess what? You aren’t. It seems that everyone is preaching, “Be who you are… You are perfect the way you are.” They are wrong. You aren’t perfect the way you are because if you were, you wouldn’t be trying to improve.

This is the point in the blogpost that I confuse the hell out of you. Don’t mistake trying to improve with low self-esteem. You can be confident AND aware. I’m aware of my imperfections as a person, but I am also aware that I have come a long way from freshman year Mike.

Either take my advice or don’t. Becoming aware of my flaws and the pressure that society has on me has been my key. It worked for me, but it may not work for you. Everyone is different. My plans and strategies aren’t foolproof, but I figured if I share them with the world and one person gets something out of it…

I guess I achieved my goal.