Being yourself isn’t always an easy task. Being authentic with your intentions, ideas and feelings can be difficult, especially if we come from a background where that isn’t encouraged. It all boils down to costs. What do you have to lose from being who you truly think you are? For some people in very unfortunate situations, the choice could mean life or death, or serious scrutiny that can bring you harm. If we are thankful enough to be in a position where this isn’t the case, then it benefits us greatly to be who we truly are.

 

Behaving in an open manner and incorporating both the “good” and the “controversial” aspects of our personality means we are more in tune. When we’re behaving at this tone, we draw more authentic relationships closer and push away less fruitful ones. For some, the idea of being yourself can draw an image of a self-righteous person who claims their insights are higher and mightier than yours. This doesn’t have to be the case as you’re learning to behave as your truer self. You can show yourself through your actions, and prioritizing what really matters to you. 

 

Technically, you can never be anything but yourself. But living in a world that is social as it is adaptive, we can take on traits that we deem more appropriate in order to be accepted. Taking the time to analyze which behaviors are true to who you see yourself becoming as much as they are to who you are is vital.

 

Everything should be on scale. The more depth that a relationship has, the more open you should be to expressing yourself more comprehensively. Being yourself is a process of becoming who you imagine you’d love to be. And this relationship is symbiotic. You should be open to others being themselves as much as you are being you.