Do you Let Your True Self Shine?
I have had to pause to ask myself about my path quite often. What makes each of us unique? Let me tell you what I think. Each of us is born with unique talent or skill that is ours alone. It is given to us at birth, and we need only to follow it to find our purpose in life.
Life isn’t ever that easy, though. From the moment we come into the world, we are met with limits and expectations from others.
Sometimes the limits come from a place of love, like a parent guiding their child safely, and sometimes they come from a much darker experience.
It matters little where the limits come from, and they cause us to be ashamed of who we are and what talent we have.
These “would have’s” and “should have’s” of life make you shy away from your true self, pretending to be something more acceptable. Some who experience abuse early on in life never really get to see their authentic self, making it much harder to find.
Looking For Me
I have been hot on the trail of my authentic self for much of the past two years. It has been a slow and sometimes scary chase. It all began almost two years ago.
When I realized that I didn’t know anything about life, I was not happy, and like many people hadn’t been happy in a long time.
There had been moments of extreme happiness, and I enjoyed people, but the inner feeling of joy escaped me. I had resigned myself to think that this was how you felt in life, empty and bored.
I was waiting for the clock to run out. However, life had other thoughts, and events reminded me that I wasn’t always this way.
Dreams were a vital part of my youth. My imagination guided me in almost every adventure I had every day, and I dreamed of everything from playing for the Red Sox to racing horses.
I believed that everything that I thought of could happen, and it was just a matter of getting a little older for me to do all of those things. That person was my authentic self, the true me. I was gifted with the ability to dream vividly, and it seemed life was determined to make me forget that.
The Cover-Up
Over the years, the feelings of trying to fit in, not rock the boat, and be “normal” made those thoughts move from the front to the back of my mind.
Finally, they were forgotten, neglected, and abandoned as I got older. I was an adult, and there was no place for dreaming in adulthood.
It was like knowing a secret that you couldn’t remember, but you knew it was a good thing, and if you could connect with it, then all would be well.
Life, however, moves in, and the job, the relationships, and the expectations all jump on top of you and push that authentic identity far back into your memory and may never let it out. Like you are asleep and can’t wake up.
Waking Up
I am not unique because I think others have gone through some traumatic events and are shocked by the malaise of life.
I started to remember it piece by piece, and it is still coming back to me. Like waking from a slumber, you begin to experience life differently.
Each of us is born with an authentic self with abilities meant for us alone. Some people are right to them their whole lives, and others never see their authentic selves again.
Most people spend their early life forgetting and the second part of their life trying to remember. It doesn’t matter who you are or what age you are; there is a unique person inside you that is a mere alarm clock ringing from waking up.
Do you know your authentic self?
“Authenticity starts in the heart.” Brian D’Angelo
“Authenticity over everything.” Anonymous
“If you’re your authentic self, you have no competition.” Anonymous
“Don’t trade your authenticity for approval.” Anonymous
“Honesty and authenticity are a big deal for me.” Scarlett Thomas
“Authenticity: The courage to be yourself.” Anonymous
“Be fearlessly authentic.” Anonymous
“Authenticity is magnetic.” Anonymous
