“This is my voice and it’s been hard, for me. I’ve been at it for awhile and I’ve tried to sort of shrink my voice down to fit. But, I decided for this show I was just gonna just sing like myself.” – Chris Mann, “The Voice” (NBC)

I watched “The Voice” on my DVR this morning while getting ready for work and a man named Chris Mann sang a beautiful opera song. Afterwards, after he had been praised and applauded, Cee Lo Green asked him why he chose the song. The quote above was his response. For so long he tried to fit the mold of what was common, average, and he refused to do that anymore.

I think a lot of us do this. I, myself, have actually been thinking about this a lot lately. I feel that I’m very different when it comes to a lot of things, I don’t fit the “norm” in our society. And, instead of always embracing these differences and basking in what makes me me, I sometimes hold back in fear of how I will be viewed. This man inspired me this morning, really hit a cord inside and reminded me of one of my favorite Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes,  “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” I’m vowing to make this a priority in my life, to always be myself and not let the world try and make me something that I am not. I think we should all do this because we’re beautiful the way we are.

If you click this image you can watch his audition. Just awesome!