5 Inspiring Ways You Can Follow To Start Embracing Yourself

Embracing who you are can be scary, but the benefits of doing so far outweigh the consequences of hiding your truest self. Living authentically requires a certain degree of vulnerability; both of which take an immense amount of courage. Here are five ways you can begin cultivating your truth and embracing who you are.

1. Establish your identity

Think about the traits you possess and the roles you play in life. Are you creative? Smart? Funny? Are you a sister? A daughter? A friend? To get in touch with your inner-self, make an identity list by beginning your sentences with “I am” and filling in the blanks thereafter. Dig deeper. Ask yourself what you value, what you stand for, and what brings you joy. Write it all down and take a look at yourself and the qualities you bring to the table.

2. Shift your self-talk

Recognize that the negative voice in your head is not you. Stop identifying with it and begin affirming the parts of you that you do like. Explore the qualities you want to attract and cultivate in your life. Begin your sentences with “I am worthy of” and “I deserve”. By the law of attraction, what you focus on expands – practice positive thinking and watch in delight as these thoughts unfold in your life.

3. Take aligning action

After identifying who you are and what you stand for, find ways in which you can take aligning action. If you’re creative, make time to create. If you value service, look for volunteer opportunities. Find activities that bring you joy and make you feel alive at heart, and then do them.

4. Let go of what others think of you & direct your attention inward

You will never be able to please everyone. In fact, you should never aim to please anyone. We often bend to fit the molds and roles others have set for us. Sometimes we act differently depending on who we are with. This betrayal of the self moves us away from our true identity and towards a faulty persona; leaving us questioning who we really are at the core. Let go of other people’s expectations and begin focusing on what you want, how you wish to be perceived, and what is going to make you happy.

5. Do things that scare you

The search for our authentic identity is a long and changing journey. As human beings, we are programmed to evolve. Who you are today is not who you were yesterday, or who you will be tomorrow. Change is scary. Embrace it. Every time we look fear in the face and challenge ourselves, we are expanding and learning valuable life lessons. The things that scare us the most are typically the things that we need to do the most; and the things that will provide us with the most amount of growth. Be open to change and do something that scares you every day.