Clones are suspect; always be the original :)
#OG #beingyourself #legos #botanicalgarden #inspiration #quoteoftheday #nybg
Judy Garland said it best: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”
It’s not deep. It’s just... correct
You’re obsessed with Lego architecture sets? Amazing. You collect botanical indexes and can name every flower in Latin? Even better. Maybe you’re into beekeeping, obscure jazz, or memorizing bird calls to impress exactly no one at parties. Whatever your thing is—own it. Do it with joy. Do it with flair. And definitely don’t apologize for it.
Being a first-rate version of yourself means being the best possible you—quirks, passions, imperfections and all.
Trying to be a second-rate version of someone else— that’s like using a knockoff brand of allergy medicine—it kinda works, but also, not really. You’ll always be a little off, probably very tired, and definitely a less-effective version of yourself.
When you try to become someone you're not, you risk missing the chance to develop interests that actually light you up. Plus, embracing your true self allows you to operate from a place of clarity and ease instead of insecurity or awkward imitation.
So here’s to embracing a wonderfully unique, highly specific self. The world doesn’t need another copy-paste personality. It needs original, first-rate glory.
Photos of New York Botanical Garden’s Vincent Van Gogh + Lego Build exhibit from a couple weeks ago. We took the train into the Bronx. We had fun.
An illustration inspired by Van Gogh’s Roses:
Van Gogh’s Roses, 1890:
