Happy Sunday!! Its a chilly day in October with snow outside (yesss, SNOW- the Midwest is crazy), so I am appreciating my cozy, warm apartment this afternoon. Hope you all enjoy hearing some rambling thoughts of mine on this topic today. ( :
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What comes to mind when you think of being true to yourself? What does being true to you look like?
Many of the messages I come across regarding being true to self revolve around external manifestations of ourselves. These external manifestations can include style or living preferences, clothing/appearance choices, and aspects of our individual personality. While these external things do contribute to a person, they are essentially expressions – or symbols – of our true identity. They can act in such a way that cue others in on who we are and mirror our inner selves.
With that considered, let’s re-frame what being true to who you are looks like. Being true to who you are can be getting that daring haircut you’ve been dying to try. But it can also be doing the right thing despite external influences attempting to sway you in what you know is right.
Its this latter dilemma all of us experience and so few talk about in this context that I want to emphasize. When we are taking action based on our own convictions and sense of right, we are making choices that align with the beliefs we hold deepest within us. There are few things I can think of that has the potential for a deep sense of self than doing that.
Integrity, similarly to being honest to others, is alternatively being truthful to yourself. This personal integrity encompasses your own opinions, convictions and intuition. You are being true to yourself through ensuring that your actions and behavior follow up on what you know to be right.
One incredible way I have seen this philosophy of living with integrity and consequently being true to myself has been in becoming vegetarian. I have wanted to become a vegetarian for some time now, and decided to make the transition to a vegetarian diet now that I am in an apartment with the freedom to buy my own food & prepare my own meals. The driving force behind my decision was the realization that if I feel called to something according to my personal convictions, it should not just be an ideal. I need to follow up on what I know to be right with living actions that align and level up.
If you are aiming to practice self-integrity and be true to yourself, your actions need to level up to your ideals. This can be a hard thing to put into practice; most people have good intentions based on strong convictions, but its a matter of forming habits & living that aligns with those beliefs. The beautiful thing about this view of self-identity is not only will we be strengthening our individuality, we will be making the world a better place by being better people. A by-product of strong individuals is stronger communities- because then, people are choosing truth in their lives and surroundings and it will affect those around them.
I encourage you to began seeing the personal decisions you make, the actions and habits in your daily life as expressions & manifestations of yourself. Not only will this lead to greater self-awareness, it will also direct your daily habits and decisions & give the simple daily things value.
Thank you for reading loves!! ❤ I would love to hear your own thoughts on this topic below,
Veronica
Veronica Marie 