The way a poet- the late Douglas Malloch said it:

If you cannot be a highway, then just be a trail,
If you cannot be the sun, be a star
It is not by size you win or you fail
Be the best in whatever you are!

Let us not imitate others. Let us find ourselves and be ourselves.
If we imitate others, we may develop into second rate fellows but if we insist on being ourselves, someday, some time we will become all first –rate fellows. It is obvious that no one would like to sound phony. Everyone wants to grow into an unique individual. One of their kind…very distinguished in class and quality of mannerism, style and talent. Nobody appreciates a counterfeit coin.

There are many people in this world who talk with conviction about this from their bitter and costly experience.
An insight –
When Mary Margaret McBride first went on the air, she tried to be an Irish comedian and failed utterly. When she tried to be just what she was- a plain country girl from Missouri- she became one of the most popular radio stars in New York.

The renowned William James wrote, “ We are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources. Stating the thing broadly, the human individual thus lives far within his limits. He possesses powers of various sorts which he habitually fails to use.”

I HAVE TO BE MYSELF, AND I CANNOT POSSIBLY BE ANYONE ELSE. Let this penetrate into our thick skull and make a transformation. We have greater abilities, so let us not waste a second worrying because we are not like others.