Learn How to Be True to Yourself

There's no one out there who knows you better than you know yourself! Your likes, dislikes and indifferences should be more apparent to you than to anyone else. However, you may find it hard sometimes to really commit to what you know about yourself. 

Being true to yourself requires a lifetime of work. Life throws out all sorts of scenarios that test your knowledge of self and your commitment to living up to your own expectations. You'll probably be the first to admit that there have been occasions when you've let yourself down. 

But it's nothing to be ashamed of; it happens to even those who are the most self-aware. Going forward, however, it certainly doesn’t hurt to work towards achieving complete honesty so you can avoid compromising your beliefs and values. 

Tips for Being True to Your Own Reality

1. Think it through; then act quickly. Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you may end up being untrue to yourself, take a moment to think about the situation. Think about what it would mean if you did what you felt was right versus giving in to expectations.
   
   
   • If you decide that you ought to stick to what you feel, act quickly to make your point of view be heard. Sometimes, taking too long to make a statement dilutes its effectiveness, and people may doubt your sincerity and commitment to what you've declared.
2. Assess the root of each situation. One key thing you can do when your ideals are being questioned is to ask yourself why someone else is asking you to go against your beliefs. Are they not placing enough worth on your point of view?
   
   
   • You may want to reconsider your relationship with that person. Are they really here to build you up or break you down? Ideally, you want to associate with those people who support your individuality.
3. Trust your gut. In many cases, you'll find that the pit of your stomach gives both physical and psychological clues about whether you're being true to yourself. Take a second to think about this: how often has your stomach ended up in knots when you're in an uncomfortable situation?
   
   
   • That gut feeling never lies. If you pay close attention to it, you'll realize that it pops up whenever there's a moral stance required. And when you ignore it, it plays on your conscience. 

Situations and circumstances will arise to throw off your commitment to your moral positions. You'll feel pressured to agree with popular beliefs, even though deep down you may not agree with them. You'll even feel the urge to do something that's completely wrong because you feel doing otherwise would be detrimental. 

But at the end of the day, when all those situations have passed, you still have to live with yourself. You still have to come to terms with the decisions you've made and live with knowing that the outcome was solely based on your choice - good or bad.

The best way forward is to pay close attention to who you are and what you want out of life. Achieve your fullest potential. Remember that you are in charge of the direction of your life!