Authenticity – road to true self

Be true to yourself, four simple words with deep rooted meaning. Who am I? Who am I really? These sort of questions I have often asked myself, and sometimes found it rather hard to answer truthfully.

Fakeness: in today’s world, this is the new norm. Fake plastered-on smiles, the exaggerated laughs, or the over-the-top bubbly giggling, the sickly sweet or overly macho personalities, the wanna-be's and the posers etc. the list goes on and on.

Who are we honestly? Instead of humbling answering this, the majority of us choose to pretend to be someone we believe will be loved and accepted by all.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” - Aristotle

The sad thing is no one is innocent. Every single person in today’s world is guilty of pretending to be someone they are not (be it in the past or present). There are numerous reasons why people pretend to be someone they are not like being a victim of negative self-complexity, lack of self-awareness, fear of rejection or low self-esteem etc. Often times it is the company one keeps which a has major influence on one’s personality and habits.

[I don’t owe this image, I google it]

The thing about pretending is that the longer you pretend, the harder it is to remember who you are really are. You are used to wearing the fake façade that you forget who you really are underneath it. You can say it is a form of self-induced amnesia.

To truly know oneself, in my opinion, is the most important skill one can ever possess. When you know exactly who you are, you know your strengths and your weaknesses – no one has the power to hurt or control you. You do not need other people’s approval nor permission to be who you want to be or do what you ought to do to be a better version of yourself. Someone you are comfortable to be – be authentic over impressive. The sooner you stop pretending, the less you will be frustrated and start enjoying life. Your confidence will be higher than ever, and you will understand your worth and purpose in life.

Know your boundaries and be your true self (also called original self, unmasked self, authentic self or real self). This is the state when you are most at ease, comfortable, open, vulnerable and carefree.

Honestly, after researching and writing on this topic, I can say that I am still in the process of finding my true self. I am not embarrassed to admit this, and admittance is usually the first step towards improvement.

Stay blessed and thank you for reading!