Let’s be real. Pretending to be someone you are not is one of the most distressing experiences in life. But what’s even more disturbing is to realize that you have been pretending to be someone else for years without even being aware of it.
Being true to yourself means that you act in accordance with who you are and with your core values and beliefs. If you know, accept and love yourself it’s actually quite easy and effortless to be true to yourself. But first you have to know yourself, then you have to accept and love yourself and lastly you have to develop the self-confidence to show the world who you are.
You need a big dose of courage to accept and love yourself exactly as you are and not be someone in accordance to what other people think you should be. This however requires an open mind, introspection, sincerity and fairness on your part. But if you are true to yourself and live accordingly it becomes a super power that makes you happy and successful.
Here are our TOP 10 tips to be true to yourself and dare to express who you are.
#1 Take Responsibility for Your Own Happiness
Take a moment and seriously think about it. Who is responsible for you being happy. Is it other people or are you responsible for your own happiness? When we aren’t true to ourselves, we tend to put the responsibility on others for us being happy. But reality is that this passive approach to life only leads to disappointment and unhappiness. On the other hand, when you take control, reclaim the reigns and take control of your own life, you will experience happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction. Step up to the challenge, own the responsibility for your life, be empowered and be true to yourself.
#2 Remove Toxic People From Your Life
Of course it is important to show compassion to judgmental and negative people, but that doesn’t mean we have to be around them. Think about all the people in your life that are toxic and pull you down and then start to distance yourself from them. You will realize that life is a lot lighter when you remove toxic people from your life and much easier to be true to yourself. Be thankful for them and the role they played, but cut them out of your life with kindness and move on with new friends.
#3 Stop Avoiding Yourself
Rediscover who you are. Explore your emotions, feelings and thoughts and write them all down or find another way to express them whether that’s through movement, art or any other creative form. Simply allow yourself to reconnect with who you are on the inside. Set aside at least 10 minutes each and every day for self-discovery and familiarize yourself with what’s going on inside yourself. Because you can only be true to yourself when you know who you are.
#4 Forget Being ‘Likable’ and Accept Yourself
Many of us forget to simply be ourselves because we want to be liked or loved. However, this only makes us lose our sense of self because everything we do is centered around gaining recognition and approval from others rather than from ourselves. Move past the notion of having to be liked by everybody and learn to find self-worth within yourself. Learn to love and accept yourself and realize that you don’t need the outside validation, you don’t need to please others and you don’t need to pretend to be someone you are not. Show compassion, kindness and forgiveness for yourself and genuinely care about yourself.
#5 Learn to Say ’No’
When the foundation of our self-worth lies in the opinion of others, we tend to struggle with setting boundaries and being assertive. However, there is nothing noble and good about sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others. The more we sacrifice our needs for the needs and desires of others, the more we become bitter and disconnect with ourselves. Learn to say no in a respectful and kind manner and make yourself the top priority. Know who you are and what you can and cannot commit to and stay true to yourself and your values and beliefs by learning to say no.
#6 Connect to Your Emotions and Feelings
A lot of us tend to repress our emotions, but that only disconnects ourselves from ourselves and leads to inner numbness. And the more we bury our emotions and feelings, the more they can lead to an explosion of rage, nervous breakdown or physical as well as mental illnesses. In order to be true to ourselves, we need to connect to our emotions and feelings and explore what is going on inside ourselves. Express your emotions and feelings, whether that’s through screaming and shouting, laughing, crying or anything else that actively includes your body. Be gentle with yourself, allow your emotions and feelings and realize that emotions and feelings are a healthy and a vital part of you.
#7 Forgive Yourself
There may be a part of you that believes that you are unworthy of living a happy and fulfilled life. Maybe due to some mistake or failure you have done in the past. Forgive yourself and stop the self-loathing. Let go of the anger and fear that are holding you back to find the freedom to express yourself freely and authentically and don’t blame yourself for everything and anything. Mistakes are a normal part of life and an opportunity to learn and grow. So learn to forgive yourself and make a conscious decision to move forward with authenticity and forgiveness.
#8 Be Honest
Being true to yourself is built on the foundation of honesty. Tell the truth and not just to other people, but to yourself as well. Learning how to be true to yourself is all about transparency and honesty. Are you really happy right now? Is your life as you imagined? Sure, you are probably able to deceive yourself as well as others for a little while, but reality is that the truth will eventually come out, so you might as well be honest from the get go. Of course truth can be hard, but it’s also true the the truth will set you free.
#9 Use Your Body as a Barometer
It’s quite astonishing, but let’s face it. Our body can’t lie. If you choose to do something that is not in line with your true self, your body will react to it and you might feel sleepy, distracted of fuzzy. On the other hand, when you are true to yourself, you will feel more alive, you sit up straighter and your eyes open. Notice your body’s signals and learn the language of those signals and it will become a lot easier to show up as your true self.
#10 Manage Your Fears
Just because you decide to be true to yourself doesn’t mean that fear is magically going to disappear. Fear will always be there, whether you are living the exact right life or not. Learn how to manage your fears, especially on the level of the body. Yogic breathing can be extremely helpful in managing fear as does kind self-talk, cognitive therapy, and keeping sugar and caffeine at a minimum. Find out what works best for you to manage your fear and stock your fear management toolbox with it.
We’ve all heard the well-meant advice before: ‘Just be yourself.’ It sounds simple enough, but more often than not we get caught up in imaginary fears or try to live up to somebody else’s expectations. However, not being true to ourselves means that we disconnect from ourselves and lose our individuality. Even if it is scary, face the real you and courageously show your true self to the world and with that experience yourself and life fully.
RECLAIM YOUR INDIVIDUALITY
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked
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