There are an estimated 7.8 billion people living in the world today. It’s no wonder it feels so hard to stand out in the crowd. If you weren’t who you are, who would you rather be? I’d like to share with you why I believe it’s important to be yourself and why everyone matters, no matter how old, young, tall or small.
You might think being yourself should be the easiest thing in the world. Yet so many of us hide behind a veil or mask. We sometimes present a shadow of our true selves or portray ourselves as something we’re not. The impressions we make on others can be dictated by childhood events, relationships we’ve been in or life changes we’ve gone through.
We may be afraid of showing our true nature in case we are ridiculed, or walked over, or distanced from friends, family, colleagues or business associates. We might want to fit into a circle of friends or be visible in social media groups. To conform, we change. It could be a change in vocabulary, dialect or accent. It could be a change of clothes, car or holiday destination.
Some changes are so subtle you might not realise how far from your true self your alter ego has travelled. Just stop for a moment. Have you done anything recently that felt out of the ordinary, something you wouldn’t usually say or do? This could be a sign you’re not being true to yourself.
When you’re being yourself and when you feel comfortable being yourself, that’s when you can flourish and grow. However, if you continually supress your real thoughts and real emotions it can be draining and stressful, especially if you don’t think your opinion matters or you’re not being heard.
Being yourself means people get to see the real you. They’re not seeing a fake version of you.
Being yourself means you don’t have to act up or act down. Your true friends and clients will stick with you for who you are, not who you’re not.
Being yourself means you can set your own goals and celebrate your own achievements. You don’t have to compete with anyone else to succeed.
Eventually, if you have been wearing a veil or mask, cracks will show. It’s not possible to maintain your cover indefinitely. You will get found out. It could be an innocuous comment or a trail on social media and someone will notice you don’t own three homes and a Ferrari, even though you were adamant you did.
It’s much easier to be up front, genuine and real to begin with. Being yourself, mentally, socially, spiritually, emotionally and physically adds up to the person you truly are. If you want to make changes that’s ok, but keep being yourself.
Through Focus Guru I help small business owners find their inner image and help them to be themselves at work and on social media. I help individuals and teams draw out key skills buried under layers of veils and masks. If you would like to find out more, book a free 15-minute chat, but remember to be yourself.
Rachael Chiverton, Focus Guru – Giving You Your Time, Your Way with no Squirrels