‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ – Oscar Wilde
I love this quote – it always makes me smile!
I’ve written around this topic several times this year; Having Healthy Boundaries, Self-Acceptance & The Shadow Self, You Do You, and Being Authentic. The reason this topic is so dear to my heart is that so many of us spend so much time trying to please others; trying to be who we believe other people want us to be in order to be accepted, to ‘fit in’ and to be liked and loved by others.
I am passionate about sharing my thoughts on this subject because, like everyone else, I am ever-evolving and I’m learning to be me; learning to step into my own divine power as I continue on my own healing journey and I very much hope that I can help as many others as possible to do the same.
I also want to share this…
In being yourself, you live the life you choose to live; you love you, and that makes you more attractive to others.
I sincerely encourage you to love yourself with all your heart and shine brightly out into the world, because you are perfect just as you are. You are unique and wonderful; don’t change to please others, be yourself and you will exude confidence as you find that your life will begin to flow.
Be yourself regardless of the opinions of others because trying to fit into other people’s stereotypes is exhausting. You spend your time, albeit subconsciously, trying to second guess what’s expected of you and deep within it doesn’t feel good. It can leave you feeling empty and out of balance with all that truly makes you happy. Being yourself gives you the self-respect you deserve and desire. You begin to trust yourself and as you do so, others naturally trust and respect you too.
How to be yourself
I would gently suggest that you start with taking a moment to very simply allow yourself to feel into what really makes you happy and what makes you feel good. As you begin to align with these feelings and desires, you will find that you learn more about yourself; you’ll feel better about yourself and you’ll step into your true authentic self.
Practice self-kindness
Being yourself also includes self-kindness. This means giving yourself permission to say no to others, let go of any negative self-talk and begin to focus on all of your wonderfully positive qualities – essentially letting your light shine out into the world.
You don’t need to conform to other people’s values, beliefs or ideas of who you should be – you are allowed to have your own values, beliefs and ideas and in fact, they make you YOU!
Align with your own values
The more you align with your own values and beliefs the stronger your boundaries become and this will in turn prevent others from taking advantage of you, of your kind and generous nature. It really is okay to say no. Don’t let yourself be a people pleaser to the detriment of your own needs, wants and desires. Trying to be something you are not for the sake of others is exhausting and stressful. As you learn to listen to your own wants, needs and desires life begins to flow freely, you become less stressed and less worried about whether so-and-so will like you or not. Imagine how good that would feel!
Love yourself
Love yourself and others will naturally be drawn to you and love you too. You may not be everyone’s cup of tea but you will begin to attract your tribe, the people with similar beliefs and values. Into the bargain you give those people permission to be themselves and to shine their light out into the world too.
Save your energy for all that you hold dear. Being yourself naturally gives you permission to relax and go with the flow of life. Putting on an act is exhausting – think of all that lovely energy you could use in positive and wonderful ways! It is genuinely liberating to be yourself and it opens the door to true happiness.
Stand out from the crowd; be yourself, love yourself, be proud of you – why wouldn’t you? You are perfect, you are unique, you are a one off, so let’s celebrate that innate uniqueness.
Remember that no-one is perfect
No-one is perfect, because no-one is meant to be so. In fact, I believe we are all a work in progress, but I see this as an exciting thing! We are evolving moment by moment, becoming more of who we really are, of who we truly choose to be. Trying to be something you’re not leaves you feeling empty: look at all the influencers on Instagram and the likes trying so hard to project the image of perfection. Nobody’s life is perfect and that’s absolutely okay. Be the best version of you that you can be and watch life unfold in a deliciously organic and meaningful way.
Step into your own authenticity
As you step into your own authenticity, you begin to understand your moods and emotions. You then learn to trust yourself and once you have developed trust in yourself you are able to have strong boundaries and healthy and positive relationships with others. When you authentically trust yourself, you are able to share your feelings, beliefs and experiences with others without the fear of being mocked, ostracised or ridiculed. I’m sure I’ll look deeper into authentic trust in the future but for now, enjoy being you because you are magnificent!
Please do get in touch if you’d like my support on your own healing journey, or call me on +61 4 2451 8884.