How can I be myself without becoming an exaggerated caricature? I ask myself that question a lot. Being from ‘the country,’ I fight the balance of coming off as intelligent and sounding like someone from Huckleberry Finn. The most important things to remember when attempting to be your ‘most authentic self’ are usually the hardest lessons to learn. So, who are you? Here are some tips on being your most authentic self (even if you are like me and struggle with self-identity).
The key to being your most authentic self is to be honest about who you are, no matter what. Authenticity means showing up without fear of what others may think. Don’t put on some facade or pretend to be something you’re not. Confidence in your skin is difficult, but embracing your quirks is empowering. I mean, your uniqueness (or what others might view as imperfections) is what makes you perfect. Right? Don’t be swayed by the opinions of others to try to fit their mold. Instead, stand tall in those shoes no one else has, walk in, and be you.
Another component of being your most authentic self is to trust those feelings. Don’t let others guide your decisions or make you second-guess yourself. Stay true to you. Quit second-guessing yourself and listen to that inner voice. Even if what you are saying isn’t how everyone else feels, you stand firm on your convictions. Let your little light shine.
Lastly, you gotta find your peeps. Surround yourself with folks who support you and appreciate you for who you are. Find your tribe. Changing yourself to be like those around you is sad. That puzzle piece never truly fits because you’re just trimming the edges to fit into a slot you’re not supposed to be. When you find your peeps that accept you for who you are, it becomes easier to embrace your most authentic self. Remember, it’s reciprocal. It’s about give and take. You can spend years devoting yourself to a group of people, and years later, you realize that they never really cared for or knew the real you. So, find your peeps and be supportive of others as well. Be proud to be a Suburban mom who listens to gangster rap when she drops her kids off at school, but don’t judge the 40-year-old who watches professional wrestling. Remember to find the puzzle that’s missing a piece; don’t try to fit your piece into the wrong puzzle.
So, I’m going to embrace my Southern roots. Realize that I don’t need to worry about what others think so much, as long as I am happy. I’m going to try and realize that I can’t change my past and how people treated me, but moving forward I can make dang sure that I respect others and myself. Make sure that I respect my most authentic self, to be exact, and expect others to show theirs as well.
Images:
Huckleberry Finn creeps into his window by Mark Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 – File: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.djvu, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44828837
Fashion Designer by Mrfrg1 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86379058
Elderly ladies enjoying the first Autumn sun on a park bench by Comrade King from Greater Copenhagen Region, Denmark, Scandinavia. – Four pretty birds on a row, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90248587
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