Stop caring what other people think about you, your work, what you sound like, the direction you are taking your life, the color you dye your hair, the people you love, the places you want to live, the jokes you tell, the makeup you wear, the feelings in your heart, the adventures you seek to embark upon.

Why? Because you are a Pearl, and the world is full of Swine.

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6.

Award-winning American violinist and Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Joshua Bell, has recorded 26 albums and is considered a superstar in the world of classical music.

A superstar.

And he decided to subtly play his violin at the entrance of a bustling Washington D.C. train station at rush hour.

Of the 1,097 people that walked past Joshua Bell only seven stopped to listened to his breathtaking performance of a few classical pieces, two from Bach, one from Massenet, and one each from Schubert and Ponce.

Seven out of 1,097.

Pearls. Swine.

Context, circumstances, luck, connections, money . . . these factors influence the degree to which an audience appreciates something new far more than the actual quality of the thing itself.

What matters most is whether you enjoy and appreciate what you are doing with your life. Because in the end, you’re the one who walks the path, you’re the one who does the deed, you’re the one who must answer for all the gifts you were given. Did you take advantage of your time, treasure, and talent? Did you do what you wanted to do, or did you do what they told you to do?

Did you get trampled under their feet? Did you get torn to pieces?

Be bold. Be brave. Pursue what you like, not what others tell you should be liked. Whether it be a career, a residency, an outfit, a date, a big hat, or even something as small as sharing an opinion on current events or public policy, go for it, because you’re a Pearl.