The Importance of Showing Up As The Authentic “You”
Do you truly know how very special and unique you are? Have you ever taken the time to really sit with your thoughts and reflect on all the good qualities you possess? Are you willing to discover, honor, and value your worth as an individual? These three basic yet impacting questions create the framework that allows you to become more self-aware and decisive regarding your behavior, reactions, and ways of being comfortable within your own skin. But the deciding factor in really getting to know yourself is having the desire and will to do the internal work. By reflecting on the past in order to resolve areas of discomfort and celebrate moments of happiness, it’s making peace with the fact that it’s brought you this far in the present and formed the person you are today.
Many times one goes throughout life without ever realizing why they have made certain choices or find it easier to blame others instead of accepting responsibility. Time passes, age takes it toll, and before you know it, you’re not even sure how you got to where you arrived and with whom, but somehow life happens. But what if you can take a moment to pause and realize you have more say and power to create the life that you want and become the person that you know deep down in your heart you can be. By stripping away layers of fear, doubt, insecurity, and regret, someone so pure and whole is buried underneath the surface and is willing to step forward if given permission.
Think back to the last time you went on a first date, job interview, high school reunion, started a course, or enrolled in a new gym. Quite often there is this undercurrent of nervousness and uncertainty—stemming from the fear that you will be rejected, disliked, and negatively received. Of course it’s normal to have a bit of hesitation of the unknown; especially when you want to obtain or achieve something that you hold close to your heart. It becomes more important and heightened. But what if you take a step back and realize that no matter where you show up—whether alone, in the company of others, or within any given situation, you show up as “you”. The very same person that you wake up and go to sleep with; the one who narrates your inner most thoughts and directs your steps, and the one who knows all your hopes, dreams, and secrets. It is entirely up to you to determine your self-worth, fill yourself with love, and be mindful to conserve your energy and power by not turning it over to others. The more you allow someone to dictate who you “must be” or “what you should do” is a reflection of someone who isn’t self-possessed and authentic within themselves. What makes you authentically “you” is that you form your own beliefs, thoughts, and opinions based upon your life experience and extracting the advice of others that resonates. The person that you’re the most comfortable with when you are alone or with people that build you up rather than tear you down is the best version of yourself. This is who your date wants to meet, an employer wants to hire, and family/friends want to spend time with. And if for some reason this best version of you is not deemed enough or respected by others, it is completely in your power to share it only with those who value you—as you value yourself.
By being authentic and sincere, you have given yourself one of the most special gifts of all—freedom. With freedom comes choices and an energized spirit because in fact it’s absolutely exhausting keeping up appearances and wearing an ill-fitted mask. 
