How To Decide That Being Yourself Is Enough
Originally published on Thought Catalog
How do you decide that being yourself is enough? Honestly? You just do.You do it after trying to change yourself in every way possible, hoping to finally be deserving of someone’s full love yet somehow never getting it right. You do it after picking apart every little piece of your body and finally growing sick of beauty standards you never chose to be a part of, after no longer recognizing who you are and realizing no love is worth this and no true love should demand this.You do it when you’re just so damn tired of forcing yourself to be any other way. You do it when you realize that being yourself is always your best option. Perhaps now and then you will get a sense of inadequacy and inferiority and self-doubt, but it won’t last. It will go away immediately when you turn around and put the focus on your own needs and wants and think about how to best meet them instead of belittling them.
You decide being yourself is enough when you’re done seeking approval from others and learn the hard way that no one can do this for you except you. If you wake up today and you tell yourself that you’re enough, then you go show the world just that, you’ll be surprised how quickly and easily things change. Because your story is for you to tell. No one knows you better than you; no one even knows what being you means until you consistently do you and align your words and actions accordingly. Embrace your every fiber and be unapologetically you, even if it means pissing some people off — in return, you’ll attract the right people, and it will serve you in the long run.
For sure, in the short run, it will be hard. When you first commit to being yourself and nothing else, you will face struggles. Relationships might fall apart, people might leave, fundamental beliefs might be challenged, and you will question every little thing in your life. But remember that this is a good thing. Breaking apart is how you pull yourself together even harder. Discomfort gives rise to growth. So keep pushing through. The path is still long ahead, but every step forward will be worth every effort made today.
Along the way, when you feel unsure, look inward. Get a feel of your energy. Positive energy presents when you’re being centered and true to yourself, when you’re connected to your core and you choose your wellbeing over being liked, over the ego-driven desires that come and go and can never be fully satisfied. You might not see it now, but once you prioritise being yourself, your world will gradually be cleansed. Anything that causes disharmony in you will go and make space for better things to come and stay, the things that only make you more of yourself, not any less.
So you ask how you’re supposed to decide that being yourself is enough. The answer? Just do it. Have faith in it. Make it a fact. Adopt it as a mindset. Accept your becoming, no matter how challenging it has been. Stay grounded. Change your course from now, no questions asked. Choose yourself and be yourself today.