Living an Ersatz Life

So I learned a new word last week, and I haven't been able to let go of it.

I've been thinking about it, chewing on it, pondering it, and I've just about had enough of it. I've gotta get it off of my chest.

The word, courtesy of Experimental Theology, is ersatz.

Ersatz is everything we're not about around here. Simply put, ersatz describes something that is fake. If something is ersatz, it's a replacement, and a crappy one at that.

For instance, many people, especially outside of the United States, would declare American football to be an ersatz football game, preferring the kind people actually play with their feet.

Meanwhile, many Apple fans preach that PCs are ersatz computers, trying to convert us to the dark side.

But I digress.

Seriously, though. This is a word that'll make you think.

Personally, I think about the idea of living an ersatz life, and I get a little nervous.

Living ingeniously is one of my biggest fears, but as someone who thrives off of the encouragement of others, it's a realistic possibility. I like to think that I'm an independent, self-sufficient adult, but I'll be the first to tell you: that's a dirty lie.

The truth is, I wouldn't be worth my weight in toilet paper if I wasn't encouraged along the way by some awesome people like yourselves. If blogs didn't have a comment feature, I'd be up a creek (and I'm not much of a swimmer). I treasure kind words.

The danger, though, is that while I crave encouragement, I also tend to crave approval.

I can't help it; I want you to like me.

And while I've learned a thing or two about people not liking me, it doesn't mean I've mastered the art of ignoring the haters. Sadly, I walk a fine line every day between appealing to others and becoming what they want me to be at the expense of who I actually am. And though people have great intentions, something tells me that who they want me to be is an inferior replacement of who I actually am.

I don't want to live an ersatz life when I've been called to so much more.

... ... ... 

Question: Do you sometimes find yourself living an ersatz life? What influences you to be someone you aren't? How can you genuinely be yourself today? 

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