Be True to Yourself

The "self" is an interesting thing. It's hard to define what it is. It seems to be the sum of our beliefs, thoughts, and feelings. It's the part of us that makes us feel like individuals separate from other people. There are different aspects of the self. There's the self that is who we are, the self that we project to other people, and the self that we want to be. Each self would be the same if you are a truly congruous person. However, it's not always that way.

Sometimes we project different things to people so they will view us a certain way. We have our family self, work self, etc. It's probably a good thing to separate those things. You might not want to divulge too much about yourself to your co-workers. The thing is that a wide disparity between these different selves can create problems.

Perhaps the real issue isn't what we project but being aware of who you are. Many people become fixated with who they want to be instead of embracing who they are. Wanting to be different or try new things is okay but you need to start with who you are. Sometimes we change and we are slow to accept that change has happened. That can create stumbling blocks as well.

Here is an example. I was a shy kid but I'm not anymore. I'm still surprised when people tell me that they think I'm outgoing. What I need to do is embrace who I am. Things could be worse. I could still be shy. All I need to do is get my view of my self to match who I really am. I'm just about there with that. It's actually refreshing.

Things are different if you are currently trying to change who you are. You need to look within yourself and examine who you really are first. Then any change in your self will be a positive one. We get into trouble when we try to be someone we aren't. We might be able to sustain those changes for awhile but they won't be a reflection of who we really are. Life is too short. Be true to yourself and you will enjoy life more.