A Life of Authenticity

I have a tendency to repress and restrict parts of myself when getting into new social situations or a new relationship. I hide desires, feelings, and opinions instead of being who I really am: Me.

And yet, who can we be if not ourselves? Do we really want to be someone else? Then why is it that we feel the need to suppress our true identities?

The greatest asset we can bring into any new relationship is authenticity. It requires us to be honest about ourselves -- our emotions, our thoughts, our wants and needs, and even our past.

We may find ourselves thinking that people won’t like who we really are. We may be afraid that if we show our true colors, we will be shamed, ostracized, or left alone. We may worry about other’s opinions of us.

However, when we finally let go and give ourselves the permission to be who we are, we will find that healing has taken place in our relationships. We have been crafted uniquely, wonderfully, and we were never meant to be anyone but who we are.

At the end of the day, we have the closest relationship with ourselves, and we need to learn to give ourselves the acceptance and approval we seek from others.