I firmly believe that you've all been advised to be true to yourself at some point or the other. But to me, if you're not doing it realistically, you're not doing it at all. Drop that mask of yours now and start to live life. The rest doesn't matter.
But first, listen,
You do you.
Be yourself.
Be who you are.
I know, you all know these lines, but not many get it - still!
The way our society functions does not prioritise well-being and self-preservation. Ok?
So, these words become shallow then, right? However, they’re still important to act upon. To live a fulfilling life, a life that is truly yours, it’s important to be true to yourself. Try to copy this.
And trust me, I understand that it’s not easy, and sometimes it might not even be clear what it means to be true to yourself. It's not about just doing whatever you want to. It’s about
- strength
- courage and
- balance.
It’s about honoring yourself as you honor others. And, that’s a tricky combination sometimes because we’re not always in situations where we feel comfortable, accepted, and empowered. So, below I share some of my tips on how we can really be true to ourselves in day-to-day life. Ok?
1. Always be honest with yourself
Ask yourself. What is true to you? What is important to you? What do you want to work towards? What are the values in your life? What will you not give up no matter what?
There are so many people who don’t know what they want or who they are. So how will they ever honor something when they don’t even know what it is?
You know, when you know your destination, you’ll get there even if you take a few wrong turns. But, when you don’t know where you’re headed, where will you go?
Introspection is a fundamental activity that we all must consciously give time to as early in our lives as we can. To be true to yourself, you have to know what is true to you. Invest time into getting to know yourself. End. No shortcuts here!
2. Patience is the key but decisions matter too
As I said before, being true to yourself is not easy. N O T easy, hear me?
If it were easy, we wouldn’t know of so many people who, in their middle and old age, regret not having listened to their heart, not having done what they really wanted to do, and essentially not having truly lived their lives.
So, one fundamental asset you need is courage. This is your life. You have one shot at it.
Take your time, understand yourself, assess situations, don’t take big decisions impatiently but take them. One thing that I make sure of is that I don’t leave room for me to regret in later years of life.
None of us really know how long we have, let’s not postpone living. Ok? And, it’s not just about big decisions. Are you choosing what is right for your health? Have you started journaling your thoughts? Please take this advice close - other tasks will not go anywhere. Please make time for what is truly good for you. Good for you, not only for others around you. Ok?
3. Stop pleasing people around you
What will they think? Will they be mad at me? Will they be disappointed? What if they don’t agree with me? Fuck, I know ( sorry, but) instead of these questions, make sure that you are sure. If you’re choosing something for yourself, and you know in your heart that it is the best thing to do for your health, and your life, other people’s agreement should not be so important. Understand this. Let this thought go, go away, right now, and for always!
When we look up to someone or when they’ve played a valuable role in our lives, we fear causing them sadness, or shocking them, or disappointing them. We want them to agree with us. We want them to support us. However, trust me - these wants are not nonsensical. They’re human. But, at the same time, they don’t define our lives. And, the people who care want the best for you anyway. So, if they’re the right ones, they will support you, sooner or later. One way or another!
4. Always give respect to your feelings
We know what it is to be a good listener, and we try, in our capacities, to be good listeners to the people in our lives. Well, you’re also a person in your life. But, how good of a listener are you to yourself? To be true to yourself, you’ll have to be aware of what is true to you. So here, it means to acknowledge what you feel and understand that there’s always a reason behind it.
Sadness, anger, guilt, grief, regret, fear, jealousy, and every other emotion in this spectrum has a reason to exist. It hasn’t come out of nowhere.
Since we all naturally want to avoid pain, we also tend to avoid the emotion that needs to be experienced by us. So therefore, take a pause, ask yourself, 'How do I feel right now? Seek answers. Do not avoid them!
5. You have to take responsibility for your actions
An empowered individual, in my opinion, is someone who has control of their life. The decisions that they make are theirs, and they have the autonomy to choose their life path.
So, in that sense, you have to understand that the responsibility of your words, actions, reactions, and choices lies with us. There is a lot of independence in realizing this because when you know that you want to change something and all you need is to work on yourself, you have all the control. And then you can truly be who you want to be. Someone else or situations don’t determine who you are. So, try to remember this.
6. Do what you enjoy doing
And lastly, lighten up consciously. Do what you enjoy doing. Don’t let busyness get in the way of you connecting with yourself. You know, when you’re in those activities are close to your heart, that give you peace, that make you genuinely smile, you are truly yourself. You’re having a great time. And, it’s so important to stay connected to them. No matter how occupied you get, or how many responsibilities pile up. Remember you are responsible for your own happiness.
I make sure that I exercise daily, I found out that it is so important to me, really. Makes me a better person overall and I am by far the best version of myself. So, what are such for you in your life? Are you in touch with something that will give you that extra power? Think and seek for answers once more.
Now pause, listen to your body's needs, accept the way you feel and turn your weaknesses into strengths. You live now. Your life matters. You matter.
Be the best version of yourself.
Step out of your comfort zone and prove yourself.
Do not take take life for granted.
Until next time, S.
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