BE YOURSELF

“Be yourself- not your idea of what you think somebody else's idea of yourself should be.”
― Henry David Thoreau

My youngest daughter recently decided to get a pixie cut.    The thing I love most about her is she is seemingly oblivious to what others think about her.  She seems content to be an out of the box thinker, and she is not someone who cares about following the norm (long hair in this case).   Consequently, she is able to be her true self.  She doesn't focus on judgements, labels or societal stories people place upon her.   She enjoys life without putting a guard up or having pretension.  

As an adult, how can we deconstruct the story others have created for us or ones we have created for ourselves?  Here are some things to think about:

1.  Begin to release old beliefs of who you should be - those imposed on you by yourself or others.

2.  Think about what you would do if no one would judge you.

3.  Reflect on your morals, values, and how you want to live.

4.  Know your strengths.

5.  Learn to appreciate your faults.  If there is something you want or need to change, focus on one big area or a couple of small areas and learn skills that will help you change.

6.  Contemplate:  If there were no limits in your life, what would you want to do, where would you live, how would you live?

7.  Understand what and who you love.

8.   Consider who you admire and why. How can you learn from them?  What does this say about your true self, your desires?  

These points may not be magical transformers, but they may help you focus or refocus on your true self and help you shake your non-true self ideals or others' ideals of who you should be.  If you can remember to let yourself be free of judgements, implement passions, stay true to your morals/values, use your strengths, accept or work on your faults, follow your dreams, love, and learn from others you admire, you can begin to meditate upon your true self....and this may lead to a fulfilling life journey.