The problem is you’ll be hated if you are real, and being loved if you are fake

Have any of you seen the new Joker movie? I’ve read so many conflicting reviews, with some people praising it for its dark brilliance, and others calling it violent and disturbing. But honestly, I’m not even here to talk about the movie itself. What it got me thinking about is our reaction to things – our tendency to judge, and how we approach life in general.

Lately, I’ve been bouncing between different places, reflecting on my way of thinking. I realized that, in this moment, I’m probably the most judgmental, selfish, stubborn, fake human being on this planet! It’s a hard pill to swallow, but sometimes you need to see it to understand where the growth needs to happen.

Being selfish can sometimes be a way of coping with all the mental struggles – depression, anxiety, feeling lost. You try to hold on to something, anything, to make sense of it all. You read self-help books, you pray, you search for peace. But, as I watched this movie, something clicked: even good people can snap. Even the most well-intended can do things they never thought possible. It’s tragic.

On my travels, I’ve met so many people battling their inner demons, trying to be someone they’re not, just to be loved. So many people scared to show their vulnerability. And what's even scarier? How being fake has become almost... acceptable. It’s disturbing to witness.

I looked at myself in the mirror and had to ask: Do I want to be a Joker? Do I want to keep pleasing people just to feel accepted? And the answer, my friends, was pretty clear: I don’t. I want to be me. I want to be treated the way I treat others. I don’t want to be fake, I don’t want to pretend, and I certainly don’t want to keep defending myself.

If that means I lose some friends, then so be it. If it means stepping away from the ‘cope stand’ and embracing who I truly am – a happy Lowland warrior, a princess, a globe-trotter, a child of God, a human being – then that’s the path I’ll take.

So I ask you all: What do you seek in life? What’s your true self calling for?

Let’s stop hiding behind masks and start showing up as who we really are.

Eindhoven , Oct 22nd.