Standing out in a crowd can be either a scary or a pleasurable experience. If you are walking the red carpet, you would certainly revel in the exposure and attention. However, if you are an unsure, insecure adolescent, surrounded by what you see as confident, beautiful people, you may feel somewhat out of place. Having the courage to be yourself and love yourself will go a long way toward helping you to achieve your dreams.
You may want to be yourself, but it is by no way an easy task. In fact, it can be a daunting experience at times. You are always wondering if your words, your looks or actions will meet the approval of those around you. You fear failure and feel more comfortable doing what you think is safe. What if you don’t like yourself when you are yourself? What if your attempts to be yourself totally backfire and you lose it all? What if?
The courage to be yourself
The courage to be yourself is colored by how you feel about yourself and the fear of changing what you think is safe. It takes courage to let others know your true beliefs. If you have an opinion on gay marriage, for example, and you are at the dinner table with known hard-liners on the subject, you may wish to stay silent or meekly accept the views of the majority of your dinner guests. The courage to be yourself will only come if and when you are prepared to accept the consequences of expressing your opinion, whether it is painful or not.
How can you find the courage to be yourself?
The courage to be yourself must first come from your desire to be yourself and your willingness to work on your courage on a daily basis. Baby steps are all you need to begin and here are some tips to help you get the courage to be yourself.
Have no fear. This may seem like an insurmountable task but it is quite simple. Ask yourself what you are afraid of when contemplating an action and consider whether it is important to you that you act and how you will feel if you don’t act. We all fear something so you are not alone. Without fear, we would not be able to achieve anything. When taking steps to be yourself, fear maybe your friend by propelling you to take action.- Take the first step. The potential of being yourself is limitless if you are willing to take the first step. The first step only has to be a small one, but it is a giant step towards a new you.
- Believe. Believing in yourself will help you make those all-important life decisions like the kind of career path you should take or the relationships you need to nurture in order to enhance your life.
An opened mind and an opened heart
Having the courage to be yourself requires an open mind and an open heart on your part. You still need to listen to the advice of others even though you may choose to take a different path. You also need to be respectful of all opinions even when they do not meet your approval. We all learn and grow from being exposed to diverse thoughts and ideas while having the courage to be ourselves.
