- Geekmaster
-
2,894
- 2021-03-03 12:08:20
- 19 minute(s)
Seven Exhilarating Ways To Stay True To Yourself And Shoot For The Stars
Does life feel like reruns of someone else’s except your own? Are you ready to discover how you can claim back your own self and rewrite your life stories? Do you really want to know how to stay true to yourself, whatever it takes, in order to shoot for the stars?
We all struggle with getting pulled in different directions in life.
With all the distractions that surround us on a daily basis, we may also struggle with staying true to ourselves. By becoming self-aware of your feelings, emotions, environment, and life, in general, is an essential way of being true to yourself and overcoming those distractions.
We often try to mold ourselves in the image of what others think and in the process we forget how to stay true to yourselves.
From an early age, we learn to be someone our parents want us to be, and it is normal to lose ourselves in the process. We are constantly told how to sit, how to talk, and how to act in front of others. It is our thinking that now when someone asks us how are we; we take that question not as serious and deep.
It takes a lot of courage to grow up and become who you really are.
Social peer pressures of popular demand can influence you to do what you think others want you to do rather than what you truly want to do. But despite all of this, it’s essential to be true to yourself. Do not live for others. Live your life for you. Do what makes you happiest.
Being true to yourself is about embracing your own energy and uniqueness in every way possible.
Are you going to just exist, or live fully? Living your life for others doesn’t work long term. Before I give you seven ways and tips on how to stay true to yourself, ask yourself: “Am I ready to stay true to myself today and shoot for the stars? Let’s start!
Tip #1: Seize The Day
Consciously tune into or notice the practices — the situations — the places that resonate with you, that lift your spirits. Where you connect with YOU. When you’re surrounded by negativity and other forms of resistance, it can be easy to feel like you’re drowning in it.
So make time for you, to notice what works for you.
Fuel that spirit that burns within you. Keep it ignited, burning strong. Acknowledge and celebrate when you do find yourself – being true to You. Build more space around these positive practices and situations.
Your true self happens now, not a second ago or a second later.
So to stay true to yourself, you need to live in the now, not in the past or in the future. Any life, no matter how long and complex it may be, is made up of a single moment — the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.
You certainly know what is best for you…so do it.
Ignore society’s peer pressure and do what is best for yourself. With the constant bombardment of society and the media, it can be hard to know what to believe. Contemplative practices like meditation can help to clear your mind and your energy. You might also benefit from spending time in natural environments, getting some exercise, doing things that bring you joy, and just spending quality time on your own.
Your true self is right here, right now. At peace.
Have you heard this truth? “Anxiety is a feature of the future and depression is a feature of the past”? It’s so true. Your true self does not live in the past or in the future. Life is an unpredictable joyous mess. Life is short. Life is what we make it. Life can suck or life can be amazing.
Make today the first day you dive into what you’ve been holding back on, or rededicate your life to your mission.
Life is a series of iterations, pivot moments, and challenges. We can’t control much of what happens to us, but I’m convinced of the power of directing our moments and deciding what to do with our day. It’s impossible to plan what we will do on this day five years from now, but we can, with almost absolute certainty, plan what we will do with the next 30 minutes.
Tip #2: Change Your Attitude
When we are faced with a change, we lose the ability to stay in charge. When you take charge of your attitude, you become more aware of your surroundings. Instead of focusing on the “should” and “what ifs” focus on the present and change your attitude and view all the possibilities.
It may be in our perceived failures and blunders that we lose sight of who we are, because we try to maintain position and status.
In being who we really are and achieving what we really want, we need to be resilient. It means that we do not see all possibilities of what might happen, but must trust ourselves to begin again, and continue to build the life we want. In the face of adversity, you must choose your attitude.
Change is inevitable but with a positive attitude, you can choose to see the silver lining and do good for yourself and others around you.
Know that you enrich the world just by being yourself. No one else can bring the unique gifts to the world that you can nor can you shine at your brightest by trying to be more like someone else. We each come into this world with our own unique perspective and gifts to share. There is nothing you need to do and no one you need to be other than yourself.
You are amazingly you, unlike no other, and your perspectives, ideas, thoughts, feelings, and experiences matter. Own it.
Authenticity promotes credibility as well, and it can be refreshing for others to get a different outlook. Don’t be afraid to be different, I personally find that those who let their inner light shine are much more interesting.
Changing your attitude is not about stifling or eliminating negative thoughts. It’s about changing your thought patterns through action.
When you alter repetitive thought patterns, you alter your attitude — it’s a physical process, and with it comes the ability to achieve things you didn’t think were possible before. To undertake this change, understand what to do with negative or unhelpful thoughts when they arise. This understanding will help you take action towards changing your attitude.
A new experience of being is literally a shift attitude. A shift in perception and a shift in feeling if you will.
If we can pay attention to our attitude, and become aware enough to identify the nuances of our attitudes, then we can discover the limitations of our beliefs, thoughts, and emotional states which may have become so habitual that we may not even notice their detrimental effects and the ways in which they limit us.
Tip #3: Love Yourself
When you are true to yourself, you start accepting the little things about you and gain a lot more confidence in your abilities. You need to understand that whatever it is you’re feeling is okay. You need to accept your vulnerabilities and own up to who you truly are.
Many of us have been taught that self-love and self-respect are selfish.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Those who do not fully love themselves tend to act selfishly because they mistakenly believe that others are holding the key to their happiness.
If you can’t forgive yourself for your mistakes, you’ll find it more difficult to forgive others.
And any lack of forgiveness makes it impossible to grow into the person you want to be. Any grudge you hold is cement around your ankles. It keeps you stuck in the past while others keep stepping forward. And only you can give yourself this gift.
As you love yourself, life loves you back.
Darkness is the absence of light. If you remember this, it will change your life. Any negative thought is darkness. Instead, imagine you’re in a dark room and it’s bright outside. Your job is to go to the window, pull out a rag, and start cleaning. And soon enough, light enters naturally, taking the darkness away.
🔈 Someone has said
Self love and happiness aren’t found, they are created.
It isn’t a switch that is flicked one day and you are in love with yourself and your life; it is discovered, learned and practiced daily. You can’t truly be happy if you don’t love yourself because no matter how happy everything else in your life is, you will always feel unworthy, like you don’t deserve happiness.
When you love someone, you do the best for them. You believe in them. You encourage them.
The same holds true for loving yourself. Truly loving yourself inspires you to be the best version of yourself. Fake love inspires you to indulge. And if you improve yourself from the place of love, then self-improvement becomes a form of self-compassion. They both merge.
When you truly love yourself, you won’t need to feel insecure and compare yourself to others.
Because you can love yourself, you can openly love others too. You can be supportive instead of jealous or envious. Life doesn’t have to feel like a competition because you understand that everyone is unique and brings unique value that can’t be replicated. You stand strong in who you are and you support those around you, lifting them up.
Tip #4: Learn To Say No
Many of us are scared of what others think and we automatically say “yes” to things even if we don’t want to. This choice of “yes” can leave you feeling exhausted and used.
You should learn to say a respectable and polite “NO”.
Self-worth can only be understood if you truly know your worth. Don’t be a pushover and don’t be too assertive either. Understand when to draw a line and negotiate but don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.
When we base our self-worth on the opinions of others, we tend to struggle with being assertive and drawing boundaries.
Saying “yes” to people and commitments when we want to say “no” is one of the most depleting and disempowering choices we can make. There is nothing noble about self-sacrifice, especially when it’s fuelled by fear. The more we sacrifice our needs in place of others desires, the more we become bitter. Don’t let this anger build up.
Do not allow others to dull your sparkle.
Stand up for yourself and set clear boundaries with those people who may try to cause you to feel like you are less than enough. Recognize that a difference of perspective or opinion does not mean that someone must be wrong. You are in charge of your own personal and energetic space. Saying “no” is a complete sentence. There is no need to justify yourself for honoring your own needs, and failure to do so rarely serves the greatest good.
Keep in mind what your needs are, it isn’t selfish to take care of yourself.
At times people will offer us unwanted advice, sometimes even to the extent of trying to tell us how to live. You are on your own path, and it is going to look different than someone else’s journey. That’s okay. You know what is right for you, what you need and want.
What will a “yes” involve and require of you? What will a “no” make room for? Or what will it cost?
Sometimes, it will seem at first glance that saying “no” will cost you more than saying “yes.” And sometimes, the right answer is somewhere between a yes or a no — like a “Let me check and get back to you.” If the best answer isn’t what the other person wants to hear, you don’t have to disregard what you know to be true in order to please them.
Tip #5: Honor Your Desires
Part of the nature of who you are lies in your interests, beliefs, ideas, and feelings. These things that you value are a part of you, and when you practice them they bring you joy.
Life is busy and chaotic, in the midst of our crazy lives we often don’t make enough time for what really matters.
By enjoying these things that are meaningful to you, you lift your spirit and raise your vibration. When you’re in a positive state it is easier to see more clearly, and to connect with your higher self. Your values are part of your identity, nurture that. The strongest force in the universe is a human being living consistently with his identity.
So many of us have been taught to believe that our needs and wants are, at best, secondary to others and, at worst, completely irrelevant.
Do not deny your true feelings. Start small and know that it is okay to identify a desire, even if you are not yet ready or able to act on it. Just get into the habit of listening to yourself and you will be surprised at how you will naturally blossom.
Knowing and honoring your desires will help you to be your genuine self.
It gives you the freedom to follow your own values system without giving in to pressure from others. Honoring your desires makes you happy because you can let go of the inner conflict that leads you to a decision that makes you feel guilty for short-changing yourself or not being “you“.
We need both the mind and heart to work in unison with each other, yet we are taught to worship the mind and trivialize the heart.
If your mind is constantly racing and full of thoughts, take a step back. Find some way to relax your mind so that you can listen to your heart again. Remember that your heart is the doorway to your soul. Whatever your soul wants to communicate will be felt in your heart.
Staying true to yourself is all about finding your passions and celebrating them.
Whatever you love, whatever gets you smiling, animated and full of energy — that’s what you should be pursuing, that’s what you should focus your time on. By shining a loving light on all parts of ourselves, we can accept who we are and pave the way for positive transformation.
Tip #6: Take Responsibility
Seriously sit down and think about this: are other people responsible for making you happy, or are you responsible for your happiness? When we aren’t being true to ourselves we tend to let others — or fate — take hold of our lives.
Don’t be a passive bystander: take your life by the balls and reclaim the reigns!
No one is responsible for your life but you. No one is responsible for making you feel fulfilled but you! The moment you step up to the challenge is the moment you start to feel empowered again.
Be true to yourself and don’t rely on someone else for your happiness.
It may seem as though you need the love of someone special for you to feel happy. And you do your best to return the favor. But the emotional high doesn’t last. You still want them near, but you start to realize their company isn’t enough to make you truly happy. Real happiness can’t take root and thrive in something outside yourself.
Taking responsibility puts you at choice and that allows you to choose how to respond to life’s challenges.
You move into the driver seat of your life’s journey. You take responsibility when you accept that the thoughts you have, are your thoughts coming from your mind. How you feel happens in your body and is a result of your thoughts. The words you speak come from your mouth and voice. The actions you take, are taken by you.
Taking responsibility for your happiness means learning to let go of all the excuses you’ve been making about why you can’t have what you want.
I’m not saying that some of those excuses aren’t grounded in fact, what I’m saying is that you have to find a way beyond any excuse you come up with. Only you can take responsibility for getting beyond the obstacles you face, no one else will do it for you.
If you feel like the victim in your own life, you need to stop and think about how you let other people impact your outlook on life.
For example, if someone makes a snide remark about you, logic would dictate that it’s a reflection of their own self-worth. But in many cases, we think illogically about these things and feel like we are being attacked. What people say about you clearly says more about themselves than anything to do with you.
You are the only person who can make the necessary changes in your life to live a happy and fulfilling existence.
Being happy is a state of mind, and one that starts with you. It is not just the people you are with, or the situation you are in that dictates your happiness. It is the way you process and think about those experiences and relationships. It is all about perception; the way you perceive a situation.
Tip #7: Polish Your Surroundings
It’s preferable to work and socialize with those who are interested in your ideas. Those who you resonate with and feel a connection with. Numbers don’t matter here — even if it’s just a couple of you — it’s a foundation you can build from.
Surround yourself with people who lift you up and support you. Find your tribe.
Having friends in your life who won’t judge you or make you feel less than when expressing yourself is important. Your friends should be there to help keep you grounded and living your best life. Friends are there to keep you honest and self-aware.
Conversely, you better distance yourself from those who refuse to see your value — who only see what they can criticize or condemn.
Sometimes, these relationships can improve through communication and a mutual desire for self-improvement. Other times, not so much. They may yet decide to forgive and see the good in you. Until then, do what you need to do to shield your mind and heart from their negative attacks. Compassion doesn’t require you to be anyone’s doormat or emotional sponge.
If you are focused on taking your life to the next level, then why not associate with people on that next level?
It is natural to feel most comfortable with people who are like you, and that’s OK. However, now and then it’s good to step outside of your comfort zone and spend time with friends who can expose you to greater things, new information and a higher level of living. If you value these friendships, you will soon find yourself advancing too.
Your life becomes more pleasing and contented with the presence of right and sincere friends.
The importance and value of true friendship cannot be described in words. Those who create trouble and do not able to give you a sense of delight and happiness cannot be your real friends. The company of the right people will make every moment of your life pleasing even when you feel detached.
It’s important that we show compassion to negative and judgmental people, but we don’t have to keep them around.
Think about people who you would prefer not to be around, and experiment with distancing yourself from them. If you discover that you life is much lighter with certain people gone, make the decision to cut them out of your life, with kindness. Be thankful for the role they played, but move on and find new friends.
Wrapping Up
Staying true to yourself means honoring what your needs are, surrounding yourself with people that support you, not defining yourself by what outside influences think or say, and doing what feels right to you.
Let’s face it: pretending to be someone you’re not is one of the most disturbing experiences in the world.
All too often people make a big drama about expressing authenticity, when in reality, being true to yourself is quite simple. But it isn’t for the fainthearted. In order to be true to yourself, you need courage. However, thankfully courage is a source of energy we all have access to no matter how insecure we feel.
No one is perfect and we all have our demons that we face.
In times of hardship it is natural to lose sight of self. If you get lost, it’s okay, you can always find your way back. When you are able to tune out the confusion what you are left with is a knowing that rings true.
Whatever happens, don’t forget to laugh. Be playful.
Laughter is good medicine. When you stop taking yourself so seriously, you can enjoy the dance of life just as it is, without all the drama. So don’t forget to enjoy the ride!
So dear readers, don’t wait to be who you are.
You are special and there is a reason you are on this earth. No matter what your situation is, there is something you can do today to move toward your true self.
Dare to live; your dreams are counting on you. By honoring yourself in the truest, highest way, you are honoring others and the greater, divine plan of which we all are a part of.
I hope that you guys found this article helpful. I feel so calm just having written this all out. STOP comparing yourself to what you see. Be comfortable with who you are and what you’re doing. Go easy on yourself. I’d appreciate if you could took the time to share your thoughts in the comments below!
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