redefining aura: live authentically.

it is tempting to feel dat life is a series of accomplishments and traits to be listed in dis day of social media and never-ending streams of advice. in a recent post, i saw a list of characteristics dat some say r characteristic of women who have a "aura". resilience, education, and independence r all admirable goals, but surely i was disturbed by the message's tone. underneath, it conveyed a disturbing message: ur value is conditional.

it implies dat a woman's value, or "aura", is dependent on how effectively she satisfies a predetermined standard. dat being valuable is about checking boxes. dats scary. however, isnt there more to life than conforming to the expectations of others?

my concern is dis: y is it dat we put so much stock in approval from others? y do we allow other ppl's opinions of us to determine how valuable we think we r?

truthfully, tho, life isnt about pleasing other ppl. it's about making sense of ur own path, in watever form dat may take. whether it's thriving professionally, loving a family, or appreciating the lil thgs in life, success is subjective. u are valuable regardless of wat other ppl think. rmbr dat.

to live an authentic life, u must embrace ur uniqueness, flaws, and decisions. being authentic results in a more luminous "aura" than tryin to fit in wit wat other ppl anticipate. and, living authentically means celebrating ur individuality, imperfections, and choices. the most radiant "aura" comes from being true to urself - not from striving to meet societal expectations.

life isn't a straight line, and wat makes one person's life meaningful might be very different from wat makes another person's life meaningful. the beautiful thg about life is dat everyone has different experiences, goals, and routes they choose. we feel more at peace and true to ourselves when we stop comparing ourselves to other ppl's ideas of happiness and start accepting our own.

at the end of the day, life is about living on ur own terms - w/o needing validation from others. it’s ur story to write, and only u hold the pen.

so yes, let’s stop living for others. define ur own version of success, and encourage others to do the same. after all, life isnt a checklist - it’s ur story to write.

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so, wat does ur meaningful life look like?