I am what I am, and I like what I am.

Change is imbibed into the very fabric of our existence. So is the inherent resistance to it. It is through change that we have come about on this planet and it is only natural that we fear what too much of it can bring about. On the other hand, humans constantly strive to change, to evolve, to ensure the continuity of their gene pool by creating a better model of themselves. Life then emerges out to be nothing more than a delicate state of balance, a tightrope walker peering cautiously on either side of the rope. Even the slightest imbalance, the smallest quiver can set the ball rolling on a cataclysmic and possibly catastrophic chain of events.

But is it really that bad to be different? Is conformity to the established notions of what we should be and what we should do so binding in nature that society periodically seeks out and prunes these unruly branches of the human evolution tree, ignoring the fact that we are what we are today because of these people. People who were different, who thought different. People who believed that they were meant for bigger and better things. It is these people who form the essence of a species, the very factor which separates a naturally evolved group of organisms from the multitude of artificially created ones. They provide the society a glimpse of things to come, an opportunity for others to adapt, to embrace the fact that change is the ultimate truth of life and try as they may, they can do nothing about it. But society nonetheless mocks these heralders of change, trods upon them, and treats them as nothing but a bunch of misfits.

The most important thing that remains to be realised is that life is not about whether or not one can fit into one of the many stereotypical moulds, but rather enjoying living with yourself. One needs to delve into the spirit of self and analyse exactly what makes them 'different', and whether or not they are happy with it. After all, why are we alive if not to ensure the natural evolutionary progression? These small questions are those that give meaning to life and the answers to these are what define it. Nirvana in the truest sense can only be achieved when one finds peace in the soul, accepts one's self image, and becomes indifferent to the taunts and jibes of the world. The mantra of choice then becomes, "I am what I am, and I like what I am."