Being ‘only human’

Something was shared with me when I was younger. I don’t remember what it is that I did, but I said “I’m only human.” The person’s response was, ‘Well what excuse is that?’

His logic is that because we are human we should be held to higher standards and we should expect more from ourselves. I don’t think that there was ever any room for self doubt with him. I think that most people adopt this attitude. 

Life is not just happiness.

They are the people that promote the ‘good vibes only’ lifestyle where we are supposed to look at the world through a rosy lens. That we are supposed to just be able to pick ourselves up. That if you don’t have a positive outlooks you won’t ever get anywhere. 

I disagree wholeheartedly.

There are up sides to always thinking positively. Of course there are. But, you are denying yourself the full range of the human experience. Life is not just happiness. Life is not just sunshine and rainbows and pixies in the forest. And this is coming from a writer. My purpose is to tell stories that are magical and make people feel. But they aren’t meant to only make you feel happy. That isn’t life. 

It is ridiculous to me that you would block off one of the things that makes you most human. To be in despair and to feel although your back is constantly up against a wall is where real success starts. You will not find a successful person that tells you that they got there just because they thought positively. In fact, successful people are often ones that come to know themselves better through their hardships and work through those emotions. 

Everyone has it hard in some way or another. Some people have a hard time at home, some fight with their parents, others can’t find jobs, some kids just don’t work well in the school system. There are endless amounts of things that people deal with. So to say ‘just be positive’ is insulting. 

Human beings are truly a work of art.

I think that is why artists capture our attention. There is no veil or facade. There is simply emotions on a canvas or words in a song. There are lines of poetry and novels filled with colourful characters. We afford characters in books and movies the opportunity to be emotional. 

Why don’t we offer ourselves the same opportunity? The same decency even?

So when I think of that conversation I had all those years ago, I take a completely different stance. 

I am only human, yes. And yes, I have an endless amount of potential, and I can harness that. I do not only have to harness that potential through positivity. I could harness it through anger, or pain, or any other emotion that we so often deny ourselves, because they are considered ugly. They are ugly emotions in a world that only loves beautiful things. 

But just like those paintings we love so much, we can not say that all of those are beautiful. They are art, undeniably. But not all are beautiful. The same can be said for people and their emotions. Not all our emotions are beautiful, but they are art. And that is what makes us art. 

You are allowed to feel emotions other than happiness.