What does being true to ourself look like? Being true to ourself starts with knowing and loving ourself. It’s a personal choice to be honest with ourself and align our thoughts, feelings and behavior with our beliefs and priorities. I’m talking about healthy, positive, loving values, not negative, destructive beliefs. Being true means we live a life of our choosing, and are responsible for our happiness. It’s a lifelong commitment to listen to our deep inner guidance. This may take some time to develop because of our early life conditioning that told to us follow the rules and do as we’re told, so if we still have layers of conditioning to peel away, let’s do it and exercise our power of choice for authenticity. Amazing things happen when we do.

In my life, the times I have felt worst about myself have been when I violated my own priorities and haven’t been true to myself. I feel best about myself when I am authentic. How we feel about ourself is one of the hallmarks of knowing how we’re doing in being genuine. Anything other than genuine depletes our energy and creativity, so why choose that when we could live full of satisfaction, meaning and purpose. Let’s look at what we gain by being authentic.

 When we drop our masks and embrace who we are, with all our imperfections, our life experiences become deeper and richer because we are open to new possibilities. Another gain is we attract other people who share our interests and priorities, so our relationships improve. We also know how to stay away from toxic relationships and set healthy boundaries. We gain respect for ourself, which teaches others to treat us with respect as well. People with a strong sense of self-respect don’t compromise their beliefs just to fit in.

Being true to ourself builds confidence because we know who we are and what we want out of life. We don’t need validation from others to feel good about ourself, and our weaknesses are used as opportunities for personal growth. When we’re honest with ourself and are genuine in our interactions, we earn the trust of other people and this becomes an invitation for them to do the same. In an atmosphere of vulnerability and understanding, we gain stronger and more meaningful connections.

A deeper understanding ourselves is gained, so we radiate confidence and self-assurance. We attract the right experiences and people because our potential is seen. People pleasing is eliminated because we’ve seized our own inner power making it hard for others to manipulate us. When we’re secure in who we are, what other people think does not drive our decision-making, so more inner peace is gained.

Here are some of the signs that we’re being true to ourself. Because they are our compass in life, we focus on our highest priorities which makes our heart sing. We listen to and trust our intuition following what we know feels right. And we do what’s right even if some people around us disapprove. Our needs are honored when we say “no” to a request that doesn’t work. Being genuine means people may not like us, but we’re okay with that. Still, it’s understood that the people around us do affect us, so we surround ourself with people who love and support us just as we are. We allow ourself to change our mind if a previous decision needs to be altered. This is all part of evolving and letting go of what is no longer appropriate for this point in time.

We’re being true when we take responsibility for our actions and reactions, respect our feelings and the feelings of others, and practice patience with tough decisions. True people lighten up and enjoy playing. They make time for what brings them pleasure whether it’s music, art, cooking, hiking, or taking a break from the phone. We’re all responsible for our own happiness.

Life is a spectrum and sometimes we feel completely in alignment and sometimes we feel lost. This happens to us all, but the important thing is that we keep coming home to ourself. It’s a satisfying journey because being authentic creates rewarding decisions, lifestyles, jobs, relationships and activities. This is a good time to check in with ourself and embrace the unique people we are with gratitude. Let’s meet each other fully enjoying the amazing things that happen when we’re true to ourself.

Until Next Time – Sylvia