Youngsters logically hold the impression adults are emotionally matured and are working to co-exist (at least I did). Extremely naпve, my expectations were the juvenile, Joe-Cool baloney dominating life's early stages would pass and relished the thought of finishing school and getting into the real world. Oops. At 13 I realized my mind's eye was a bit delusional. Money, sex and power rule, which greatly intensifies the deceptive theatre production. This needs to become permanently dismantled.

To a reasonable extent, our image and opinions toward each other are important factors in many areas, such as business and education. Naturally, some of this makes sense (hiring a fit personal trainer, seeking advice from a reputable resource). Nevertheless, life is filled with leaders and followers and common sense doesn't always prevail. Case in point, many distorted belief systems exist due to habitually following the lead of the "cool kids" and all too often our culture's mind-set determines one's worth using artificial social status (material items or physical appearance) as a measuring stick rather than focusing on qualities within. Shamefully, somewhere along the line these incompetent "cool kids" were anointed as the authority.

Well, I don't like that sandbox. I like this one over here. Now, before you get your designer jeans in a bunch, understand I appreciate dressing in nice clothes or driving a respectable vehicle as much as the next guy. That's not what this series is about. It's about respect. It's about how we treat each other. Shedding Skin metaphorically represents the elimination of toxic philosophies and methods controlling our existence and learning to think for yourself.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
There's a reason people are starving themselves to death (literally) or go under the knife instead of embracing a healthy lifestyle. People struggling with BDD view themselves as flawed. Obsessed with an imagined limitation in appearance, this causes feelings of shame and low self-esteem. To fix this and stay relevant, people tend to pursue plastic surgery, quick fix diets or other dangerous shorts cuts. In a world which seems allergic to treadmills and weight training this often leads to detachment from the blood, sweat and tears required for authentic accomplishments in health & fitness and ultimately spills over into all other aspects of life such as relationships and career.

We live in an age of senseless TV and Internet influences and submitting to ridiculous "experts" telling you how to look or how to act conditions the mind to function from an inferior point-of-view, just like the little duck. In all areas of influence, leading by example encourages the development of meaningful qualities over fraudulent images and will reinforce elevated standards, which will enable progression for those dealing with BDD or other struggles.

STEP 1: Understanding Self-Awareness:

Move over. There's a new sheriff in Stupidville.

Dealing with self-awareness is an opportunity to rid yourself of "issues". It plays a large role in the subconscious, which directly affects behavior. People with low self-awareness try to escape "issues" through things like television, video games, alcohol, drugs, etc. In short, they do not own their personal mess.

Many people are living in a haze, so its wise to be careful in which sandbox you choose to play. Mean-spirited individuals with, "don't-you-know-who-I-am" syndrome collide with those that get it and live comfortably in their own skin. Since much of society promotes instant gratification (delaying the ownership of personal issues) you've got to be able to take a punch. There is no way around this. In other words, don't spend too much time on your hair 'cause it's windy at the top of the mountain.

Ignorance causes people to suffer over and again. Given that unnecessary ego alters common sense left behind are the days of excessive patience for this driving force that fuels self-serving individuals. Further, engaging in combative dialogue with the keyboard warriors, which are represented by the spineless ducks in the video above, makes about as much sense as opening the front door to cool our desert air. Instead, our energy must be invested in speaking to and encouraging the "Ugly Ducklings" out there, which represent individuals working to live as our spirit intended. It's never too late to rebuild a cheerful foundation.