Let your freak flag fly, my friends. The odd laugh, the loud shirt, the music nobody else in the car wants to hear. There is room for all of it.
It's easy to spend a day measuring yourself against other people. Their work. Their turns. Their carefully arranged version of a good life. Somewhere in that comparison, you can lose track of what you actually enjoy.
Give yourself a little room
You don't need a polished explanation for every part of who you are. Make the art. Wear the color. Learn the thing you're terrible at. Being new at something is a fine reason to laugh at yourself and try again.
When the inner critic gets loud, take a breath before treating it as the authority. Ask what you'd say to a friend in the same spot. Chances are, you'd offer a little more kindness.
Leave room for the next person, too
Doing your own thing works better when you let other people do theirs. Listen to the story. Be curious about the difference. Nobody needs to pass a test to belong at the table.
The mountains and the lake bring together a wonderful collection of humans. Different ages, different backgrounds, different ideas of a perfect day. That's part of the joy of living here.
So let it fly. Be yourself, stay curious, and give the person beside you a little room to do the same.
More Tahoe stories and perspective from Coop's Corner
Stay’nThirsty
Coop
