In life, it is incredibly easy to suppress our own opinions to follow the views of the crowd. In effect, we become like chameleons just following what friends, family, colleagues, and strangers think about fashion, career, and many other topics. However, what does this actually mean for ourselves and for our future?
Unfortunately, this characteristic isn’t healthy in the long run and we tend to remain under the radar for years to come without really making an impact. Over time, this leads to self-doubt and we don’t trust who we are while our opinions become invalidated. If you think about it, this type of living is suppressing the ‘real’ us – our authentic self. Because we have been listening to what other people think rather than thinking for ourselves, even our own thoughts have been tainted in some way.
Soon enough, we become frustrated because we can’t find ourselves and what we truly represent. Whenever we do present our own emotions or feelings, we are racked with anxiety, guilt, and perhaps even shame and anger. At the end of it all, this is all because we want other people to like and accept us – this is a huge price to pay. Suddenly, we are seen as the ‘victim’ and this means that we aren’t held accountable for the decisions we make.
If you are ever going to live the life you desire, you need to learn to be authentic in everything that you do. How good would it feel to wake up and live your life free from judgement and following the crowd? Ultimately, it is now or never so make the aim today to stop stifling your authentic self just to fit in. When you learn to do this, you can let your creativity go and enjoy the life you deserve.
At first, this will be incredibly tricky because we all have an invented version of ourselves that we use for different audiences. For example, it is normal to act a certain way around friends before then changing this slightly when with parents and other family members. With this in mind, defining your authentic self can be somewhat difficult. However, you have to realize that authenticity doesn’t mean that you have to express all of your opinions at all times with no filter. Instead, authenticity means that you confidently know what your opinions are at all times.
In summary, the more we alter ourselves to adhere to fashions or even just to fit in with others, the more we will suffer later in life. To start this journey, we need to become self-aware, humble, and we need the ability to take feedback and grow from this as opposed to letting it destroy us. Although we are constantly evolving and changing as a human, the payoff is being a happier person. As well as having a higher self-worth, we can also experience confidence and a higher chance of following through on goals. All things considered, authenticity allows us to Live Life Fully!
