Be yourself 

BEING yourself means embracing your authentic self and staying true to your core identity while striving to become the best version of yourself. 

To truly be yourself, you must begin by knowing yourself deeply. This involves understanding your core values and identifying the principles that are essential to you. 

A thorough understanding of yourself will guide your decisions, shape your interactions with others and pave the way for self-love and trust.

How to be yourself

Recognise your emotions 

Acknowledging and accepting your emotions is vital to embracing your true self. Your feelings play a significant role in your identity, so it is crucial to understand what you experience every day.

Know what makes you comfortable 

Being aware of what makes you feel comfortable — and what doesn’t — is important for identifying your needs, setting boundaries and communicating them effectively. For example, you might decide, “I won’t allow anyone except my parents to buy me airtime, bundles or Valentine’s gifts. I also won’t go to a lodge with anyone.” 

Establishing these personal guidelines can help protect your sense of self.

Embrace your unique skills and talents 

Your unique skills and talents are integral to your identity, so focus on what you excel at and take pride in those abilities. At the same time, recognising areas for improvement is essential, acknowledging and addressing your weaknesses demonstrates self-awareness and a commitment to personal growth.

Align your actions with your beliefs 

Ensure that your actions reflect your internal beliefs and values to cultivate a sense of peace and authenticity in your life. For instance, if you believe that certain actions go against your ethical or moral standards, stay true to those beliefs.

Avoid imitating others

Copying others can lead to issues such as a lack of authenticity. Constantly imitating those around you may result in losing your sense of self and feeling as though you are living someone else’s life.

It is important to understand that trying to be good to everyone can hinder your ability to be true to yourself.

Remember, you can’t please everyone.

Dr Manners Msongelwa is an author, teacher and youth coach. He can be contacted at +263 771 019 392.