{"id":987889,"date":"2024-04-19T03:27:04","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T03:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devoutly.org\/journal\/?p=987889"},"modified":"2024-04-22T21:11:18","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T21:11:18","slug":"being-authentic-10-ways-to-remember-to-be-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devoutly.org\/journal\/being-authentic-10-ways-to-remember-to-be-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Being Authentic: 10 Ways to Remember to Be Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Explore being \u201ctrue to you\u201d through these 10 tips<\/h4>\n

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Have you ever tried to shift your looks or standards so that you could be liked or accepted? Maybe you dyed your hair in high school to be like the others. Or you\u2019ve laughed at office jokes you don\u2019t think are funny so you can fit in. Or you bought a designer jacket you couldn\u2019t afford because of the reaction you might get from others.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to get caught up in the trap of shifting your behavior so that you\u2019ll blend in or be accepted. After a while, you may have even devoted so much energy to fitting in that you\u2019re not even sure who you are anymore.<\/p>\n

Why Knowing Who We Are Is Important<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Having a sense of who you are \u2013 a deeply settled contentment with how God made you \u2013 will help you function from a secure place. You\u2019ll be better able to withstand criticism. You\u2019ll compare yourself less to others. And you won\u2019t feel a need to strive or perform to get others\u2019 approval.<\/p>\n

After all, you are pretty great just like you are. Maybe it\u2019s been too long since someone told you that, but it\u2019s true. God made only one human being in all of time and history just like you.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019ve gotten a little sidetracked or don\u2019t feel quite like yourself, here are 10 ways to remember to get back to being beautiful, worthy, quirky you.<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Ways to Begin Being Authentic<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. List Your Favorite Things<\/strong><\/p>\n

Write down a list of your favorites \u2013 everything from pizza toppings to music to movies. It\u2019s good to be flexible and yield your preferences to others. But if you like pepperoni, jazz, and rom-coms, and your family likes veggies, rock, and documentaries, it\u2019s okay to watch a jazz documentary with a multi-topping pizza once in a while.<\/p>\n

2. Align Your To-Do List with Your Values<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do your activities reflect your values? Try tracking how you spend your waking hours for a whole week. Where do you see opportunities to realign your to-do list to the abundant life God wants you to live<\/a>? Find time to cultivate your faith, connect with people you love, and rest your weary mind. In that way, you can be your truest self.<\/p>\n

3. Spend Within Your Budget<\/strong><\/p>\n

No matter what your income is, you can make a commitment to live within it. Not only will this help you avoid the long-term stress of paying off debt, but it will help you reflect an authentic version of who you are. If you feel like you must overspend to impress your crowd, that may be a clue you\u2019re running with the wrong crowd.<\/p>\n

4. Surround Yourself with Supportive Friends<\/strong><\/p>\n

To the previous point, it\u2019s good to stop and take stock of how real you feel within your friend group. It\u2019s been said that you become like the five people you spend the most time with. Are you surrounded by accepting people who cheer for you and love you even with your flaws? Pray that God will lead you to these kinds of friends.<\/p>\n

5. Embrace Your Shortcomings<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re really hard on yourself when you fall short, it\u2019s important to remember that everyone fails. So, we might as well embrace it. Plus, acknowledging our failures produces a quality that God values. Humility. So, instead of getting stuck in regret or denial, be the truest version of you by giving yourself permission to fail. Being authentic means embracing all part of yourself.<\/p>\n

6. Admit When You Act Out of Character<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you get pulled into office gossip, speak up and say you\u2019re sorry. If you lose your temper and regret it, ask the person you\u2019ve hurt for forgiveness. You won\u2019t behave perfectly within your values all of the time. But when you admit your shortcomings, you\u2019ll be acting out of the truest place of who you are, not who you aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

7. Keep Dreaming<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s getting a master\u2019s degree in your fifties or hopping in an RV with your spouse, keep your dreams alive! Not only is it fun to dream, but having something to lean toward can be a way of expressing a much deeper truth about yourself, such as \u201cI still have much to give,\u201d or \u201cI want to travel and grow old with my spouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

8. Silence Your Inner Critic<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been said that your own worst critic \u2026 is you. Do you talk yourself out of taking courageous or vulnerable steps because you\u2019re afraid you\u2019ll fail? Or maybe your self-talk sabotages the progress you\u2019ve made by only pointing out the potholes. Explore themes of grace in the Scriptures to retrain your mind \u2013 and silence your inner critic.<\/p>\n

9. Ask God to Reveal His Thoughts About You<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maybe you didn\u2019t have supportive input when you were growing up. Or perhaps you learned to \u201cwin\u201d others\u2019 love by getting good grades or being talented on a stage. Have you considered that God loves you just the way you are? Spend time talking to Him about this. Ask Him to show you His thoughts about you and let that guide you toward being authentic. You\u2019ll be so encouraged!<\/p>\n

10. Just \u201cBe\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many competing forces in this world will pressure you to produce more, earn more, and have more. But remember, you\u2019re a human being, not a human \u201cdoing.\u201d It\u2019s okay to unplug by simply sitting in God\u2019s presence, sitting still in nature or just taking a nap. Even God rested on the seventh day. Maybe you can take some time to \u201cjust be,\u201d too.<\/p>\n