In our current world,authenticity feels rare. Being your most authentic self can be complex,
especially with all the influences of the internet. Learning to be your most
genuine self is vital when building meaningful relationships with others. In
order to be your most authentic self, your words and actions need to be in
alignment with your core values.
Instead of putting on amask and portraying who you think you should be rather than who you know you
really are, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Being self-aware and
accepting who you are can take you so much further in life than wearing a mask.
Here are ten ways to help you take off your mask and be your most genuine self.
1. Examine Your Belief System
A lot of people grow upbeing taught what their beliefs and values should be by their family members.
It can be good to examine your current beliefs and determine whether they are
in alignment with who you really are or if they’re beliefs that you were forced
to adopt early on in life.
If you behave in ways thatfeel out of alignment with your core values, it could be from periods in early
life where you had to stop being your genuine self and put on a mask in order
to please others.
2. Identify Discrepancies
Try to become moreself-aware so you can identify discrepancies between the way you act and what
you believe. When you become more aware of the things you say and do, you can
think back on why you behave this way and whether you really believe what you
say or if it was something taught to you that you never unlearned. If you
figure out what you do that is out of alignment with your values, you can start
to work on them and improve yourself.
3. Define Your Core values
Living your best life inthe most authentic way you can, starts with knowing your values. Sometimes we
are so disconnected from ourselves we don’t have any idea of what our true
values are. To do this, you can make a list of what you value most some
examples are;
· Kindness
· Loyalty
· Optimism
· Knowledge
· Integrity
Once you have a list of 5to 10 things you value most, try to find ways to incorporate them into your
life.
4. FaceYour Fears
Fear is one of the biggestreasons people don’t live authentically. Fear of rejection, judgment, and embarrassment
are all reasons people tend not to be their most genuine selves. When exploring
your values and trying to live more in alignment with them, it can be scary and
off-putting, but it’s important to face those fears and push past them.
5.Change Habits That No Longer Serve You
When you become moreself-aware, and you observe yourself doing or saying something that doesn’t
represent who you truly are, work on changing or letting go of these habits. It
can help to write out the negative things and then throw them away. Almost like
a ritual, but it can be uplifting and help on your path to becoming your
genuine self.
6. BeAssertive
It can be hard to stand upfor yourself, but it’s important you don’t let people force you into doing
something that isn’t in alignment with your core values. We often get scared of
confrontation, so we just let things happen instead of standing up for what we
believe. If you find you’re constantly in situations where you feel like
someone is forcing you to do something that doesn’t represent who you are, be
assertive and say no.
7. Identify Internal Motivators and External Influences
When you start to know whatyour true values are, you can start to identify internal motivators and
external influences. Internal motivators are things that drive you from deep
within yourself.
These are things that keeppushing you to be the best version of yourself. External influences are things
that drive you to make decisions that aren’t aligned with your core beliefs.
These are things like money, status, or expectations from the people around
you.
Once you identify thesemotivators and influences, you can start to ask yourself questions like;
· Is this truly what I want?
· Am I being pressured to do this?
· Am I willing to do whatever it takes toaccomplish this?
· Will this bring me closer to my true self?
Asking yourself questionslike these can provide clarity into your true motives and give you peace of
mind in the decisions you make.
8. Listen to Your Intuition
One of the best things youcan do for yourself is to listen to your gut. Following your intuition is
essential in discovering who you really are. Try to keep an ear open for your
inner guidance. Listen if it tells you you’re doing things unauthentically.
9. Find A Group of Supportive People
Having a close circle ofsupportive people around you can make all the difference when trying to be your
most genuine self. If you have people around you that try to push you to be a
better person and support the changes you make in your life, it can take you
further to your goal.
Having people around that tryto pressure you into things you’re not comfortable with or make you feel you
need to act a certain way isn’t good for bettering yourself. Try to keep people
around that bring out the best in you. 10. Be Compassionate and Loving Towards Yourself
Becoming your most genuineself won’t happen overnight. You have to have patience with yourself.
Understand that things won’t go perfectly, and everyone makes mistakes. Treat
yourself with love and kindness, so you are encouraged to push past the bad
days and build yourself into a better person.
FinalThoughts
Becoming your most genuineself is a long process full of struggle and error. Understand your true core
values and beliefs and work towards living in harmony with them. Take steps
every day to live more authentically and be the person you truly are instead of
who you think you’re supposed to be.
This post is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered therapy. This blog is only forinformational and educational purposes and should not be considered therapy or
any form of treatment. We are not able to respond to specific questions or
comments about personal situations, appropriate diagnosis or treatment, or otherwise
provide any clinical opinions. If you think you need immediate assistance, call
your local doctor/psychologist or psychiatrist or the SADAG Mental Health Line
on 011 234 4837. If necessary, please phone the Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567
567 or sms 31393.