Those damn Avengers movies. I’ve never been much of a comic book fanatic, but I absolutely eat these movies up. They’re entertaining as hell, funny, rewatchable and…. inspiring?

I was watching Avengers: Endgame on the airplane the other day for the first time since I’d seen it in theaters right after it came out. There’s a scene where Thor and Rocket the Raccoon time travel back to a scene in a previous Thor movie, when Thor’s mom, Frigga (yes, I did have to look that up), is still alive.

You’ve probably seen the movie, you’re probably aware that at this point – Fat Thor is having a complete breakdown, questioning his purpose, his ability to succeed, essentially his entire existence.

“I’m not supposed to be like everyone else,” Thor says. 

And here’s the part that got me…

Frigga replies with, “Everyone fails at who they’re supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are.”

The measure of a person is how well they succeed at being who they are.

Obviously, this is an uber-dramatic, meant-to-set-the-scene-for-what’s-about-to-come kind of dialogue in the script, but that doesn’t mean it’ll still tug at my heartstrings a little bit.

How often is our time and energy spent concerning ourselves with trying to be the person that we think we’re supposed to be? Just based on the wishy-washy, soft, non-definitive words in that sentence alone – shouldn’t that already be a clear sign that it’s a pretty weak idea? 

Yet, we consume ourselves with being someone we’re not. The should’s, the supposed-to’s – they eat at us until we become so confused with the people-pleasing to those around us that we forget that it’s ok to actually be the person we are.

I can think of PLENTY of examples in my youth where I concentrated so hard on being the person I thought my family wanted me to be, my classmates – the guys in (and out) of my social group and the girls I was trying to impress alike, probably everyone I came in contact with. Honestly – in some ways that’s still the case to this day, though I’m much less willing to put up with those thoughts and feelings… crazy!

What if, instead, we took those concentrations and realigned them with who we actually are? Can you imagine the amount of internal energy that we’d release if we let go of trying to be someone we’re not and just became the person we are? 

Returning ourselves to our natural state. Releasing who we think we’re supposed to be. Being the person we are.

It’s so calming. 

We don’t have to impress. We just get to be.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that by owning up to and being the natural state that I am that I’ve probably disappointed some of those closest to me in recent years. 

And, #sorrynotsorry – I don’t care. I probably used to. But I just don’t anymore. I don’t have time for that. 

Because I know in my truest sense of myself, that if I’m spending all my energy on doing, being, living in a way that is only for everyone else around me — I’m not honoring who I am and I’d likely be living in a state of misery.

Instead, I know the person that I am and I appreciate the Man I’ve become. And because of that, my natural state is just existing in a sense of love, positivity and happiness. The relationship between Jess and me just continues to get better and better. 

That’s being me. My drive is to succeed at being who I am.

So… who are you? Are you letting the real you out?

The measure of a person is how well they succeed at being who they are.

So, how do you measure yourself up?