6 Real Ways to be True to Yourself
We've all been advised to be true to ourselves at some point or the other. Here are 6 tips to help you do that realistically.
You do you.
Be yourself.
Be who you are.
We’ve all heard these lines. We’ve all been encouraged to be true to ourselves. To do what our hearts want. And, that’s great! But, at the same time, we’re not supported in doing that.
The way our society functions does not prioritize well-being and self-preservation. So, these words become shallow then. However, they’re still important to act upon. To live a fulfilling life, a life that is truly yours, it’s important to be true to yourself.
But, I understand that it’s not easy, and sometimes it might not even be clear what it means to be true to ourselves. It's not about just doing whatever we want to. It’s about strength and courage and balance.
It’s about honoring ourselves as we honor others. And, that’s a tricky combination sometimes because we’re not always in situations where we feel comfortable, accepted, and empowered. So, in this post, I will share my tips on how we can really be true to ourselves in day-to-day life.
6 Real Ways to be True to Yourself
- Take responsibility for your reactions
- Respect your feelings
- Be honest with yourself
- Take brave decisions patiently
- Deprioritise pleasing people
- Make time for play
1. Take responsibility for your actions
An empowered individual, in my opinion, is someone who has control of their life. The decisions that they make are theirs, and they have the autonomy to choose their life path.
So, in that sense, we have to understand that the responsibility of our words, actions, reactions, and choices lies with us.
There is a lot of independence in realizing this because when we know that we want to change something and all we need is to work on ourselves, we have all the control. We can truly be who we want to be. Someone else or situations don’t determine who we are.
2. Respect your feelings
We know what it is to be a good listener, and we try, in our capacities, to be good listeners to the people in our lives. Well, you’re also a person in your life. But, how good of a listener are you to yourself?
To be true to yourself, you’ll have to be aware of what is true to you. So here, it means to acknowledge what you feel and understand that there’s always a reason behind it.
Sadness, anger, guilt, grief, regret, fear, jealousy, and every other emotion in this spectrum has a reason to exist. It hasn’t come out of nowhere.
Since we all naturally want to avoid pain, we also tend to avoid the emotion that needs to be experienced by us. Take a pause, ask yourself, “How do I feel right now?”
Related: The Secret to Be Happy For Life
3. Be honest with yourself
What is true to you? What is important to you? What do you want to work towards? What are the values in your life? What will you not give up no matter what?
There are so many people who don’t know what they want or who they are. So how will they ever honor something when they don’t even know what it is?
You know, when you know your destination, you’ll get there even if you take a few wrong turns. But, when you don’t know where you’re headed, where will you go?
Introspection is a fundamental activity that we all must consciously give time to as early in our lives as we can. To be true to ourselves, we have to know what is true to us. Invest time into getting to know yourself.
Related: 6 Simple Tips to Live a Simple Life
4. Take brave decisions patiently
As I said before, being true to yourself is not easy.
If it were easy, we wouldn’t know of so many people who, in their middle and old age, regret not having listened to their heart, not having done what they really wanted to do, and essentially not having truly lived their lives.
So, one fundamental asset you need is courage. This is your life. You have one shot at it.
Take your time, understand yourself, assess situations, don’t take big decisions impatiently but take them. One thing that I make sure of is that I don’t leave room for me to regret in later years of life.
We really don’t know how long we have, let’s not postpone living. And, it’s not just about big decisions. Are you choosing what is right for your health? Have you started journaling your thoughts?
Other tasks will not go anywhere. Please make time for what is truly good for you.
5. Deprioritise pleasing people
What will they think? Will they be mad at me? Will they be disappointed? What if they don’t agree with me?
Instead of these questions, make sure that you are sure. If you’re choosing something for yourself, and you know in your heart that it is the best thing to do for your health, and your life, other people’s agreement should not be so important.
When we look up to someone or when they’ve played a valuable role in our lives, we fear causing them sadness, or shocking them, or disappointing them. We want them to agree with us. We want them to support us.
These wants are not nonsensical. They’re human. But, at the same time, they don’t define our lives. And, the people who care want the best for you anyway. So, if they’re the right ones, they will support you, sooner or later.
Related: 9 Tips to Stop Being a People Pleaser and Respect Yourself
6. Make time for play
And lastly, lighten up consciously. Do what you enjoy doing. Don’t let busyness get in the way of you connecting with yourself.
You know, when you’re in those activities are close to your heart, that give you peace, that make you genuinely smile, you are truly yourself. You’re having a great time.
And, it’s so important to stay connected to them. No matter how occupied we get, or how many responsibilities pile up. Remember you are responsible for your happiness.
I make sure now that I give time to drawing, playing music, singing, watching The Office, talking to my friends, cuddling with my furry brother, going cycling, looking at the sky, putting the phone away, and other little things. They’re so important to me, really. What are such for you in your life? Are you in touch with them?
Related: 7 Ways to Be a Good Friend to Yourself From Today
And, these were my 6 tips for you. I am so happy that you wanted to learn about this topic because how many of us think about it, really? You took a great step!
If you found it helpful, do share it with your friends and family.
I wish you beautiful moments in life :)
Continue Reading: Tips to Form a Healthy Relationship with Yourself
