BELIEVE IN YOUR SELF!
What It Means to Just Be Yourself and 3 Ways to Do It
“Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine
yourself to be.” ~Alan Watts
I’ve heard the statement “just be yourself” so much. It sounds
like an amazing thing to do, and I have wished many times that I could just do
that. What I’ve wondered, though, is what in the world does that mean?
What if someone is a jerk to other people? Is it okay for them
to just be themselves and go on being a jerk to everyone? How about people who
are fearful of being around others and live a hermit-like life, avoiding
people?
In my quest for answers I’ve found that it is very much possible
to just be yourself. The person who is a jerk to others and the person who is
afraid of social situations are, in actuality, not being themselves. Their real
self is just being covered up with conditioned, fear-based thinking.
Our true self is who we really are when we let go of all of the
stories, labels, and judgments that we have placed upon ourselves. It is who we
naturally are without the masks and pretentiousness.
It is who we really are when we let fall to the floor the cloak
of other people’s stuff that we have taken on.
Everything else that we claim to be when we say, “This is who I
am!” is only a story.
Below are some steps that have helped me in uncovering my real
nature, which is that being outside of the accumulated thoughts and beliefs
that I have collected over a lifetime.
1. Get in touch with your inner
child.
If you ever watch small
children, you will notice just how free they are and how little they
care about what other people think of them. They are happy and in the moment.
They are their true natures. They have not yet been socialized
to “fit in” to a society that squashes that. They don’t care if people think
that they are silly while they dance in the front yard for all of the neighbors
to see.
Children are just pure love and light. If you really want to get
in touch with your inner child, become freer. Play, have fun, enjoy the moment,
do cartwheels in the front yard.
My son has taught me this more than anything. He has helped me
to see just how stiff and serious I can be. Thanks to him, I have tapped back
into something that was forgotten.
We play roles to fit into society and we suppress our true
nature out of fear of what others think. If you find yourself worrying about being judged, remember that is
merely just the socialized you, not the real you.
2. Become more aware of your thoughts.
You may be shocked by the number of negative thoughts that run through your mind on any given day. After so long, our
reality begins to take shape based on all of these conditioned thinking
patterns.
Become more aware of the quality of your thinking. Allow
yourself to sit quietly every morning before starting your day for just five to
ten minutes.
Yes, thoughts will come and go, but just allow them to do that
without getting attached to them. Just observe them. When you are finished,
continue observing the mind throughout your day.
We have so many unconscious beliefs that we have taken on over
the years that were probably handed down to us from somebody else, and that we
believed to be who we are. Becoming more aware of the quality of your thoughts,
letting go of the old beliefs, and becoming more present can help in revealing
your true nature.
We are all so much more than those old negative thinking
patterns would ever allow us to believe.
3. Follow your intuition.
This is probably one of the most important factors in being
yourself. I ignored my intuition for the longest time because I felt so
obligated to others. Their happiness was more important than my own.
I lived at home until I was twenty-five, ignored my urges to
move to a new city, and stayed in unfulfilling jobs because I was so afraid of
what other people would think of me, of failing, and of stepping out of my
comfort zone. Because of this, I was incredibly unhappy.
I will tell you this, from my own personal experience: When you
start following the little nudges and urges that you get, you will have hopped
onto the magic carpet ride of awesomeness.
It doesn’t mean that you will never have bumps in the road
again, but when you are in alignment with your soul, you will always be steered
in the best possible direction.
For me, it started when I followed my intuition out of a job
where I was miserable, which was way out of character for me. I had nothing
lined up, but thanks to my intuition, I landed back on my feet within a few
months in an awesome new job.
Now, before you go quit your job, you can begin with small
things, such as following through when you feel the urge to make a phone call,
send an email, or take a different route to work. When you get
into the habit of doing this with small
things, it will make it easier to say yes to the big things, and to trust.
How do any of these things help you to just be yourself? Because
they help you to be in alignment with your true nature.
Your authentic self is the real you that is beyond all of those
conditioned beliefs and thinking patterns that you have accumulated throughout
your life.
I was once a shy, reclusive, depressed, angry person—but I
wasn’t “being myself.” While it is important to love and accept ourselves for where we are at the moment, looking back now, I see that I
suppressed my true nature in order to please others and to fit in.
I began going within and doing spiritual study and practice in
my late twenties, and have since become more aware of how much I was identified
with my victim story, how I would play roles depending
on who I was with, and just how much I cared about other people’s perceptions
of me.
I had lost touch with my natural self and stuffed it away in a
box. Whenever I would notice myself getting attached to the stories and labels
in my head or would catch myself playing roles with others, I would just
breathe and relax into the moment without any labels or judgments.
It was a challenge because I cared so much about being accepted
by others. So I would ask myself, “How would I act right now if I had no cares
of what others thought of me?” I realized that who I naturally am without
anything else added is perfectly okay.
When you let go of the old ways of thinking, follow your bliss,
and do what you love, you begin to align with happiness and peace. These are
all indicators that you are connected with your true nature. You are then
allowing your real self to shine forth in all its glory.
Quotes About Be Yourself
Quotes tagged as "be-yourself" (showing 1-30 of
361)
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
― Oscar Wilde
― Oscar Wilde
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind
don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.”
― Bernard M. Baruch
― Bernard M. Baruch
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you
something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be
absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
― Marilyn Monroe
― Marilyn Monroe
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be
reduced by it.
(Popular misquote of "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.")”
― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
(Popular misquote of "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.")”
― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you
can decide not to be reduced by them.”
― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
tags: be-yourself, self-determination
“Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.”
― Allen Ginsberg
― Allen Ginsberg
tags: be-yourself, self-expression
“Don't compromise yourself - you're all you have.”
― John Grisham, The Rainmaker
― John Grisham, The Rainmaker
tags: be-yourself, courtroom-drama, crime
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”
― Coco Chanel, The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman
― Coco Chanel, The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman
tags: be-yourself, empowerment, girls, identity, individuality, self-determination, women
“If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened
to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television
telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.”
― Frank Zappa
― Frank Zappa
tags: be-yourself, life, self-determination
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made
a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.”
― Harvey Fierstein
― Harvey Fierstein
tags: be-yourself, identity, individuality, inspirational, life, self-determination, self-esteem, self-expression
“Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second
rate version of someone else.”
― Judy Garland
― Judy Garland
tags: be-yourself, greatness, individuality
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or
compete, everyone will respect you.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
tags: ataraxy, be-yourself, integrity, self-reliance, self-respect
“About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people
will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and
some won't like you at all.”
― Rita Mae Brown
― Rita Mae Brown
tags: be-yourself, individuality, love
“be yourself- not your idea of what you think somebody else's
idea of yourself should be.”
― Henry David Thoreau
― Henry David Thoreau
tags: ataraxy, be-yourself, expression, yourself
“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be
yourself-and especially to feel, or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling
at any moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to - letting a
person be what he really is.”
― Jim Morrison
― Jim Morrison
tags: acceptance, be-yourself, frienship
“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you
truly love.”
― Jalaluddin Rumi
― Jalaluddin Rumi
tags: be-yourself, love, self-actualization
“Don't you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can't
be exactly who you are.”
― Lady Gaga
― Lady Gaga
“Never complain, never explain. Resist the temptation to defend
yourself or make excuses.”
― Brian Tracy
― Brian Tracy
tags: be-yourself, life, remaining-silent, reticence, wisdom
“Make the most of yourself....for that is all there is of
you.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
tags: be-yourself, inspirational, self-improvement
“Just be yourself, there is no one better.”
― Taylor Swift
― Taylor Swift
tags: be-yourself, inspirational
“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman
being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me,
that is the true essence of beauty.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
tags: be-yourself, beauty, body-image, comfortable, happiness, imperfection, inspirational, life, rare,success, women
“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what
peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good
terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to
others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love – for in the
face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take
kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you from misfortune. But do not distress
yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond
a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the
universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And
whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it
should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and
whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep
peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is
still a beautiful world.”
― Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life
― Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life
“Never dull your shine for somebody else.”
― Tyra Banks
― Tyra Banks
tags: be-yourself, confidence, inspirational, self-expression, shine
“Do not
allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put on
some sunglasses, cuz baby we were born this way bitch!”
― Lady Gaga
― Lady Gaga
“The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult
thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that
position.”
― Leo Buscaglia
― Leo Buscaglia
“I find the best way to love someone is not to change them, but
instead, help them reveal the greatest version of themselves.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
tags: be-yourself, change, choices, compassion, greatest-version, happiness, helping, love, relationships,success
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that
is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in
all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist
through any other medium and will be lost.”
― Martha Graham
― Martha Graham
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