Hey. Hello, sunshine. And how have you been? How has your week been for you? Grilla is a troll from Icelandic folklore. And Grilla has a special place in the hearts of Icelanders. And the kids were genuinely afraid of her. Now, according to Icelandic folklore, Grilla is a fearsome troll woman known for her appetite for naughty children, particularly around Christmas time. And she is often depicted as monstrous and terrifying, living in the mountains with her family and pet, the Yul cat. Now, according to folklore, Grilla would turn up at the homes of these kids, abduct them, and haul them away to the mountains, where they’d end up being boiled alive in her cauldron. Now, how Grilla looks depends on who you’re asking. Though 300 heads, 15 tails, claws, and hooves are usually mentioned, sometimes she’s also described as having a beard, and sometimes she has horns. Now, you are probably wondering why I’m talking to you about a troll from Icelandic folklore, right? It’s to highlight the fact, and one that we’re probably not very conscious of, that we’re so used to scaring ourselves into any action or inaction. So many of us are just living according to the conditioned belief systems and those that we are used to or the ones that we have grown up believing and seeing our parents living.
Which means most of us, without really realizing it, are living a life our parents lived. So what if I asked you, what fear are you infecting upon yourself? Which monster or troll is going to come and eat you if you don’t do the things the way you’re supposed to? Who exactly is coming after you? Society, friends, relatives, Parents? The guerrilla story is folklore, a myth. But you know what? We keep the monster alive inside of us, and that monster is fear. And Fear is the monster that eats away moments of your life, creeping up from somewhere inside of your mind and completely taking over if you let it. Sometimes the monster scares you so much that it makes you forget how to breathe, how to function properly, or even to think calmly and rationally. So how do we face this fear? Maybe, for example, the fear of standing out, of being labeled as a rebel, an outlier. Trying to be like other people and living up to their expectations and values is just delaying the process of embracing yourself just the way you are. I’m not going to deny it. It’s definitely nice and appropriate to conform and fit in sometimes because it frees you from having to answer all sorts of questions.
It frees you from those unwanted glares that come your way sometimes. There’s no special badge of honor for conforming, and I’m not saying that you should always be an outlier. But face it, if you’re different, then you’re different, plain and simple. What I’m saying is that you should not conform at the expense of who you really are. Do not give up what you want to honestly say or do because you’re afraid of being alienated by others or being afraid of being shunned by others or seeming to be unpopular because they disapprove of your viewpoints of what you’re about to say. I’m going to be really honest with all of you here. I’ve had to learn to be comfortable with who I am because I know I’ve kept silent when I felt like I should have said something that was contrary to what others thought. I’ve pretended to like things I never really liked, all in an attempt to fit the mold of what I thought was the social norm and expectation. But I never felt comfortable. And that’s when I learned that it’s okay. It’s okay to speak up. It’s okay to show up the way you are.
It’s okay if people don’t like what you’re about to say. It’s okay if you’re not that popular. The world we live in is, as it is, very inauthentic. We see it in our newsfeeds, in our workplace, on the street. People are wearing masks. They put up a façade and pretend to be someone they’re not in order to be liked and chosen. Can I be really, really honest with you? We all have contributed to this culture that rewards conformity and punishes individuality. You need to do what’s best for you, and then let the consequences follow. Because until you do what you’re truly inspired to do, you’re not going to be living authentically. You won’t be able to produce your best work, and everything else will suffer. Not conforming to society doesn’t mean that you will be against it. It just means that you will follow what your heart is telling you. Now, all of this may come at a cost. Some relationships might die as a result of this. Because the truth is, when you find out who you really are, you learn to show up authentically. Then the ones who can’t really match up or say, level up to you, naturally disappear.
Once you reach the place where you are at your best, most genuine self, You will meet the people who are the best for you and your mental health. They’re the ones who make you feel happier. Honestly, I like being with the people I meet now than those I met before when I was still not being to myself. So be clear, love yourself, learn to be comfortable with yourself, and don’t focus too much on material success leading to some happiness as a result of this. I’m going to leave all of you all with this beautiful quote, Don’t let the expectations and opinions of other people affect your decisions. It’s your life, not theirs. Do what matters most to you. Do what makes you feel alive and happy. Don’t let the expectations and ideas of others limit who you are. If you let others tell you who you are, you are living their reality, not yours. There’s more to life than pleasing people, and there’s much more to life than following others’ prescribed path. There’s so much more to life than what you experience right now. You need to decide who you are for yourself and become a whole being. Take good care of yourselves, people, and have a great week ahead of you. We’ll speak to you again next week. Bye for now.
