Authentic self, the importance of being true to you!
Updated: Dec 5, 2021
“I’ve always loved the idea of not being what people expect me to be.” Dita Von Teese
Not everyone is always in enough luck to wake up one day and realize that they live their authentic life, but it's possible to get there. However, you might not recognize the signs if you aren't looking for them. Talk to anyone living the life they want to live, and chances are they will tell you it didn't happen by accident.
Simply put, they decided to be true to themselves and live the life they always wanted to live.
Below are five keys on how to practice authenticity.
Know Yourself - The First Steps to Being Authentic
If you had to describe yourself in one word, chances are it wouldn't be "perfect." That is why the world doesn't need another perfect person. (Don't take that as an insult, it's a compliment!) We put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect.
We spend all of our time trying to figure out what we're supposed to do, who we're supposed to be, and how we're supposed to look. But, when you realize being imperfect is the most beautiful way to be, everything changes. You can be who you are.
Knowing your authentic self is the most crucial step to being true and genuine to yourself, and that requires you to know who you are, what you value, and your interests. You'll want to make sure you are comfortable with what you bring to the table regarding your personality, skills, and experience.
Knowing yourself helps you set your self-standards. You get to explore your limits and see what you can excel at. By realizing how far you can go and how far you have come, you appreciate the effort you put in every day, which is a good sign of growth. Knowing your ability, you won't feel ashamed saying that's beyond my reach.
By exploring and being confident of your abilities, you no longer have room for pretense. Knowing yourself helps you lead an authentic life by minimizing your failures and maximizing your success since you are sure of your potential.
Need to discover your authentic self, check out the course here
Who Are You? Pondering Your Identity.
You should understand the difference between your authentic self and your ideal self. Your authentic self is who you really are, and your ideal self is who you want to be.
Your ideal self is what you strive to be. You should be able to differentiate between these two things.
You should be able to consider your authentic self when you’re writing.
If you ask yourself questions like “what am I really passionate about?”, “what do I like to do for fun?” and “what are my hobbies?”, you can start to see your true personality traits.
Who are you really?
To understand the answer to this question, it may help to consider where your thoughts and emotions come from. The answers may surprise you.
Questions to ponder your identity
What makes you happy?
What are my core values?
What do you like about yourself?
What would you change if you had a chance?
What are your strengths?