Be True to Yourself

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Be True to Yourself by Gary M. Spolansky, MBA/RMT Its not enough to "Talk the Talk" you also have to "Walk the Walk" - Anonymous It's a common phrase, one heard every day and cited ...

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Be True to Yourself
by
Gary M. Spolansky, MBA/RMT

Its not enough to "Talk the Talk"
you also have to "Walk the Walk"
- Anonymous

It's a common phrase, one heard every day and cited in many "New Age" works as well as in mainstream publications. However, its validity is no less valid now than it was in the past. In order to be more of who we are we all need to practice being true to ourselves and recognize when we're not.

Sometimes our inability to recognize that we're not being true to ourselves is obvious - in the form of little white lies, all the way to huge fish stories. Other times the recognition is less obvious and will fall somewhere in the middle. We might even believe we are being true to ourselves at the time, but on reflection find it wasn't fully the case. Its not so important to be 100% true for that will come in time as long as we make the effort to move forward towards this goal. In doing so, we open the doorway to allow a greater connection between spirit and ourselves, which comes from acknowledging who we are and further enhance our lives.

What does being true to ourselves mean? It means that that there will be times when we need to speak out and say things that are not "politically correct" - which result in us swimming against the tide but by doing so, serves a higher good for ourselves, for others or both.

Have you ever sought to tell a joke but held back because others might not get it, even though you thought it was the funniest thing you ever heard? What about singing? Are there times when you feel light and happy and want to experience that happiness in song but as soon as another person comes near, your singing voice becomes a whisper? How about having an inspiration on how to manage a project (work or home) that causes you to think out of the box but hesitate for fear others will dismiss it? I think its safe to say we've all experienced these situations and when we do, it leaves us feeling a little bit disappointed because we knew we were right, but fear kept us from speaking out. This is the price we pay for not listening to our own inner awareness, our own uniqueness. Needless to say, it can be scary to expose ourselves by sharing divergent views or taking an unpopular stand. It doesn't have to be this way, however.
We can all learn to become more comfortable in speaking our truth, simply by practicing. I'm not suggesting that we need to fall on our swords and play the role of Don Quixote in order to live up to our intention - in fact, I think that would be rather destructive. Somewhat like those who say they must speak what they feel (they call it truth) without regard for the feelings or concerns of others. I like to refer to this approach as one sided righteousness. What I'm talking about however, is making just a little more effort each day to speak out about who you are and what you need in a way that is constructive and supportive to yourself and those whom you are interacting with.

Some of the greatest regrets we have in life come from not feeling safe enough to express ourselves as the unique individuals we are. Rather we tend to go along with the flow and follow the lead of others. If we were to each try just once a day (as a starting point) to be our authentic self in time, this would become our habit. The benefits of this practice would help us accept ourselves more fully while increasing our ability to achieve our goals in life, work and at home. It would also help us to build more fulfilling relationships with our families, friends and partners.

The next time someone asks you what you think about a situation or how you see something, don't answer right away. Think a moment and answer from your truth. It may take a little effort, but I think you'll feel a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment that may surprise you and will continue to grow the more you practice.

Until next month - Be well!