It is a paradox that the most difficult task for anyone is knowing who they really are. It is even a herculean task to define who we are without our titles, our families, and our associations. This is because our concept of self is often an imitation.
We are born a blank book but by the time we are adults, our belief system, our character, and our concept of self are conformist to our parents and friends from childhood. In essence, we don’t know who we really are.
A lot of research into human behavior has shown that we all have Personas: a façade that often bends towards group mentality while concealing deeper personal thoughts, the thoughts that make us who we are. In the end, we are not whom we think we are.
This is funny because while it should be obvious who we really are, it isn’t. We are greatly shaped by nature to the extent that a gap usually exists between who is from the inside and who we are from the outside.
But the truth is nobody knows you better than yourself. It takes courage to listen to the inner voice and to decide to be the real you. You must find what is hidden in you (your gifts, your special abilities, your fragments of self that are usually pushed to the periphery by nurture).
Unfortunately, the noise and chaos around us never grant us the opportunity to calm our spirits and really get to know who we are. Meditation is one way helping to relax and connect with ourselves.
Identity is about what is inside you coming out. Unfortunately, we have been conditioned to define ourselves based on what can change with time; our career, our weight, status, etc.
It is time to stop hiding. It is time to come out and express yourself fully in an authentic way. The are several good reasons for you to discover and live authentically:
- Once you know yourself, you tend to make better choices. You make choices that serve your authentic self.
- It helps you to get rid of the compass. You know who you are, what you want, and where you are going and you don’t need external validation to feel important.
- Knowing yourself gives you the chance to be the and experience the best very best of yourself. A photocopy can never be better than the original.
- Most importantly, it becomes easy for you to express yourself fully without being boxed into one role. We all have many abilities and can be many things at the same time.
- When we use our signature strengths more in our daily lives, we can achieve authentic happiness.
To become who we are, we must be courageous to go against the normal. We must shift focus inwards, question ourselves and our beliefs, and must seek to rediscover our true selves through self-inquiry and meditation. Only then can we uncover our dreams and passions and share them with the world around us.
We must therefore be willing to peel off the masks to reveal our true selves for it is the only way you can build on your personal brand in the most authentic way.
