Has anyone ever accused you of being delusional? Have you ever wondered if what you perceived as accurate was only an illusion?

Do you see the world just a little differently than those around you? Have you ever asked yourself, “Is it me?”

When was the last time you felt pumped up about yourself? Looking back upon that occasion, when you spoke, did you do so freely? Was your voice clear, distinct, and bold? Did you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride?

During rare solitary moments of retrospect, do you find yourself morphing into a tiny blip on the screen of existence? Are you occasionally engulfed by the energy of a larger crowd of blips, finding yourself shuddering at the prospect that no matter how loud you spew, no one will hear your blipping voice?

When standing in the crowd, do you notice you and only a few others are looking in the opposite direction of everyone else? When standing amid the masses of two-legged humanoids, do you wonder if your presence will be acknowledged?

Do you care?

Have you asked, “If I chose to keep speaking out, exerting my self-assured confidence, will the masses trample and push me down, leaving my remains in an unsightly muddy puddle?”

If you ever do, don’t sweat it. Remember, perception is reality, and you are still as unique as your mother always told you that you were.

It may be true that it took a few knocks on your old noggin to get some of life’s lessons “in there,” but the lessons are in there nonetheless.

The fact that you are one person mixed in with several billion other “special ones” may, at times, cause you to feel smaller than you are. Concentrate on your being exceptional at the forefront of your mind. Stop worrying about how other people see you. It is not a positive use of your time.

The fact is, what other people think of you is none of your business. Your opinion of yourself is all in your head, as are all your concepts of the world around you.

Everything we see or feel is from our perspective, and although the same object may look the same to ten thousand people, there is still a slight enough difference to make each of their opinions unique.

As to the naysayers and negative nellies, I assure you they will always be out there, figuratively and literally. You are the only one who lives within you and, thus, the only one you must do your best to get along with.

Regarding others who try to undermine your opinion of yourself in negative ways, screw ‘em.

Say what?

You read it right.

Screw ‘em!

I am reminded of a day while walking down the street I began to feel a little out of sorts. Then, I saw a man walking the other way wearing a large black garbage bag and two different colored and styled shoes.

He whistled a happy tune that lifted my spirits right up to my first chin. I was reminded that I, and no one else, was the leader of my parade, and I chose when or whether I will dance in the rain.