Embracing your true authentic self
Many of us are afraid to embrace the things which make us unique. Hiding our authenticity and hiding our true self feels safer in an overall judgmental society which often praises “fitting in” and “normality”. Hence it comes as no surprise that many of us are fearful of following their true passions and being true to their authentic, wonderful, unique selves. Ironically though it is exactly those individuals who have embraced their true authenticity and passion we look up to and are inspired by- think of successful musicians, artists, writers, activists, public speakers, entrepreneurs and innovators- these are all individuals who have embraced their true authentic selves, who weren’t afraid to embrace their uniqueness and follow their passions.
Frankly, life is much too short and too precious to not live it on your own terms. Too many people don’t live their lives to the fullest because they are afraid. They worry about what others may think, are scared of judgment, and fear failure.
This notion of always playing it safe starts with small things such as being afraid of wearing certain clothes, dying your hair a certain colour, not taking that dance class because you think you are too out of shape, feeling the urge to paint but telling yourself you aren’t good enough or not voicing your opinion on a controversial subject at the dinner table because you are afraid what others may think of you.
These may all be minor things but you will surely miss out at some point if you go through life with this kind of attitude and in my opinion life is more enjoyable when we are brave enough to be ourselves and follow our hearts desires.
Here are some tips which have helped me to embrace my true authentic self and live more in alignment with my dreams and passions. I believe that at this point in my life I have for the most part managed to embrace who I am and am not afraid to be different, to be true to myself and to fully express myself but it has been a long journey to get to this point.
Let go of perfection
While being a perfectionistic can be a positive trait which is of great value when applied in the right moments, being too perfectionistic can also prevent us from from getting the things we truly want, trying out new things or following new passions.. If we strive for perfection, we rule out failure and failure is an important factor in achieving the things we truly want or trying something new or different. It is ok to fail, it is ok to not be perfect. In fact most people who become successful at something have done so because they have failed many times but never given up. When we let go of trying to be perfect but simply try our very best we are much likely to not give up and ultimately succeed.
Have the courage to be vulnerable
Being vulnerable means taking a risk which exposes you emotionally while enduring the uncertainty of the results. Being true to yourself will likely put you into more vulnerable situations more often. This may mean speaking your mind or speaking your truth in a tricky moment or going through with a tricky project/situation. Practicing vulnerability on a regular basis will help you connect with others as well as with yourself on a deeper level, embracing your authenticity and making you stronger.
Be honest with yourself and with others
Ask yourself, “Is what I am saying and what I am doing true to myself?”. It is essential to be honest with yourself about what is going on inside you and what you truly want in order to live an authentic life. Make sure that your actions are in line with your values and make sure that you do what you say and that you say what you mean.
The fear of judgment trap
Many of us are afraid to embrace their true authentic selves and follow their passions because we are afraid of what others will think of us. We end up not being true to ourselves due to fear of judgment only to sooner or later find out that people will judge anyhow-and this is a very important point-PEOPLE WILL JUDGE REGARDLESS, whether or not you are embracing your authenticity or not, whether or not you wear those bright red leather pants, whether or not you engage in that risky project-they will still judge!! So why not do whatever you want and be whatever you want when there will be judgment regardless. And let me break it to you the only way to avoid judgment altogether is to do nothing and be nothing and I sure do hope that isn’t an option for you.
Finding your life purpose
There is a close link to authenticity and purpose. Developing authenticity can often help you in finding your purpose while having a deep sense of purpose can help you express your authenticity. Embracing your authenticity pushes you to discover your inner self, hidden passions and desires and maybe even have the courage to move forward with that dream you’ve always had, finally make an attempt at accomplishing that goal, develop that company, write that movie etc. Hence being true to yourself can get you closer to your life purpose, whether it’s one or several.
I hope some of these tips have inspired you to embrace your authentic self more and come closer to your beautiful, true, unique self which will get you one step closer to living your best life.
