Do you feel tired, burnt out, frustrated, irritable? These feelings could be the result of so many things, but I am encouraging you with this post to examine whether it could be from the disconnect between living as your true self versus living as others expect you to (read more about should statements)?
Could connecting with who you are at your core, truly embracing who you are, and living as your true self out help you to live a more fulfilled, peaceful life? It’s hard to name this struggle, but I would call it a disconnect. I see many clients, talk to friends, and have even felt this myself. Just ask yourself, could some of my tiredness and burn out be from trying to be who everyone around me wants me to be?
I thought some of you might be struggling with this as well. Or you may be asking, “how do I even know who I am?”
Embracing who you are means…
- Knowing who you are…more on that later.
- Knowing when to say yes, and when to say no.
- Not making excuses in order to live up to other’s expectations of you.
- Checking in with yourself regularly and naming what you are really feeling, and where those feelings are originating.
- Choosing yourself.
- Embracing your weaknesses and prioritizing working on them.
- Living out of your strengths.
- Communicating your needs to your loved ones.
- Asserting appropriate boundaries.
- Self-compassion.
- Being in touch with your spirituality.
What this doesn’t mean…
- Using the excuse of “that’s just the way I am.” (see above about weaknesses)
- Being frustrated with others if they don’t meet your needs when you haven’t adequately communicated them.
- Using “boundaries” as an excuse to treat others poorly.
- Doing whatever you want while disregarding the needs of others.
- Living selfishly.
Ways to learn more about yourself
- Discover and live out of your Core Values (read my posts on core values, decision making and time management).
- Learn about the Enneagram and discover your type.
- Figure out your spiritual gifts (take a free test here).
- Talk with a trusted friend, or family member, and ask them about your strengths.
- Pay attention to depression, loneliness, irritability, anxiety, and burnout. What are these feelings trying to tell you? Are they present because you are living out of a false self?
Need help walking through this. We love helping women discover who they are and how to live out of their true selves. Contact us to learn more about making an appointment.
Watch our video that talks more about this topic.
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