Being True to Ourselves

One of the most profound ways we hurt ourselves is by not being true to our innermost selves. Many people underestimate the effects of denying, repressing, or simply not expressing, parts of who we are and how we feel. Given time, it slowly eats away at our spirit and soul and has a very damaging effect on our health and well-being.

What does it mean to not be true to ourselves? In a very general way, every time we hide or deny our feelings we are not being true to ourselves. Of course there are situations where it is best not to express some or all of our feelings. However, what is most damaging is continuous repression of our innermost feelings, of our true selves. Sometimes we feel on a deep level that we need a change in a job or in a relationship, but we let our fears prevent us from making a change. Sometimes we observe something, once or repeatedly, that we strongly disagree with but choose not to do or say anything. Sometimes we even live a lie, small or big, by living a life that is not truly ours because our heart isn’t there. Over time, not living in accordance with our true self takes a tremendous toll on our emotional and physical health. It is one of the heaviest burdens we carry around with us. It is unfortunate that many of us do not follow our inner guide and true self, and eventually we hit rock bottom and something forces us out of the shadows—usually in an extremely painful way.

There is something in the universe that is constantly pulling us toward living in accordance with our true selves. We are constantly receiving messages that help us see how we can live in a more authentic way. Let us learn to see and acknowledge the pull and what we are being pulled to. Let us keep our hearts open to accepting the message and making changes to live according to our true selves.