Life is incredibly fast-paced. We don’t take the time we should to evaluate ourselves and our needs. In fact, we often tend to forget who we are, our strengths and our life goals. It is easy for all of this to get blurred while taking care of our day to day responsibilities and we often look at ourselves with little confidence. We shame ourselves for even the tiniest of things and our self-doubt can get in the way of following our dreams. In a way, life can seem like it is no longer about us, our happiness, our overall health. It is about going to work, going to school, taking care of the family, going to bed and doing it all again the next day. For once, I would like you to take a few moments to have 3 conversations with yourself. I want you to put the focus on yourself and recognize some things within yourself that will help you to live a more content life than you thought possible.
1. Who are you?
Now before you roll your eyes at the cliché-ness, hear me out. I truly believe that we don’t know our own inner strength until we understand who we are. We have all been through many trials within our lifetime and yet, we are still here! We are still fighting! We are a resilient people and I think that says a lot about our character. Personally, I am a big fan of Disney. I love how right when the hero of the story is about to give up, they are reminded of who they are and their importance. For instance, Moana was going to give up on her mission to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her home when the spirit of her grandmother came to her and asked her who she was. Moana replied, “I'm a girl who loves my island, And the girl who loves the sea, It calls me. I am the daughter of the village chief, We are descended from voyagers, Who found their way across the world. They call me. I've delivered us to where we are, I have journeyed farther, I am everything I've learned and more. Still they call me.” Within this, she stated that she was someone who loves her home and cares for her people, and because of that she began this noble quest to save her home. And while doing so, she surpassed what she thought her limits were. She went farther than any of her people without wayfinding knowledge and she did it all by herself, until Maui agreed to help her, of course. After stating who she was, she finally recognized her strength as a person. We need to understand who we are so that we can find the courage and confidence in ourselves to be our authentic selves and to move forward with greater self-love.
2. What are your strengths, talents, beliefs, and passions?
A part of knowing yourself is knowing your strengths, talents, beliefs and passions. Think about what trials have you endured through. In what ways have you become stronger because of them? Think about what talents you possess whether it be dance, music, art, welding, photography, cooking, writing, sports, programming etc. Do you understand how gifted you are? It doesn’t matter if you are the best or not. What matters is that you take pride in it and enjoy it. It makes up a special part of yourself. Even if someone possesses the same talent as you, it is never truly the same. You cannot compare J.K. Rowling to Ernest Hemingway. Both are masters in their craft! They create different worlds and evoke different emotions in their readers. Think about your beliefs? Do you value family? Do you value honesty and kindness? Do you belong to a religion? Those core beliefs make up a lot of who you are. What are your passions? Do you desire to travel the world? Do you want to be a humanitarian? Do you want to chase after your dream career? It is important that you recognize these things because it will allow you to have a better understanding of yourself and give you greater self-assurance. Own who you are and love it!
3. What is Holding You Back From Living Authentically?
While talking to many people about their passions, dreams, beliefs and lifestyle I gained a lot of insight to who they were on the inside. I would ask these people why they would hide their amazing qualities, talents and why they don’t chase their dreams. They would say to me that they were afraid to disappoint their families and friends, they were afraid that they would fail, they were afraid to do anything outside of their comfort zone. Their answers were not surprising to me because honestly, I felt the same exact way. My friends, life is too short to live pleasing someone else. Life is too short to stay in our comfort zones. Life is too short to worry about failing. Yes, you will probably fail, but guess what, everybody does! Walt Disney, himself, had failed with many businesses before succeeding with the Disney company. What I have learned from Walt Disney is that the only true failure is giving up and giving in. The Disney company is incredibly successful because of its blatant authenticity. It is a place of dreams and inspiration. Disneyland is a place for kids and adults alike to live out their childhood fantasies. They can go to outer space, they can have adventures in the jungle, they can assist Indiana Jones in his quests, they can escape from pirates, they can travel to far off places, they can become the heroes! That is why so many people love to go there! My friends, you need to live authentically because it will lead you to be your happiest. If you want to change careers, change careers! If you want to try something new, do it! If you want to travel the world, make it happen! If you want to swim with a mermaid tail, do it! Please don’t hide your awesomeness for fear of being ridiculed or disowned! Be who you are, because who you are is beautiful! Don’t be afraid to disappoint others because what is most important is your happiness and overall health. You are #1!
Conclusion
My friends, these are conversations we all need to have with ourselves. They are important because they can lead us to gain self-love, self-care, confidence, self-assurance and overall happiness in life. We have to put ourselves first because no one else will. There is no one who can take better care of us than us. Know who you are, your strengths and live authentically. You deserve to live your best life! You are more than worthy of it!