Our true self

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Suess

Do we really know ourselves, our true selves? Or do we only know the person we have become through years of conditioning? We were all born perfect, but then, in those first few months of our lives our conditioning starts. Our family and close family friends start pointing out our imperfections. And this carries on for the rest of our lives, and eventually we start believing what our family and friends say to be the truth. So what do we do? We start behaving in ways that will help us fit in with what is considered 'normal'.

I look back on my life and wonder where I would be today is I had done things differently. I have always been shy and what is considered a bit of an introvert. To try and counteract my shyness I did things to try and 'fit' in. I started smoking at a young age, not because I enjoyed it, but because the 'friends' I had at the time were doing it. I started drinking at a young age too, this helped me overcome my shyness and I believed made me more like able, I was more 'fun' to be with. I even started saying and doing things that were out of character, all just to try and get people to like me.

"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got." - Janis Joplin

Now that I have decided to try and discover my true self my life has become really tricky. All the friends I have made have started changing their opinion about me and sadly our friendships are no longer what they used to be. I'm not as much 'fun' to be with as I used to be. I'm even considered "arrogant" and "a know it all" by some. Luckily, what matters most to me is what I think of myself and I know my true friends will always be around.

"I was once afraid of people saying, "Who does she think she is?" Now I have the courage to stand and say, "This is who I am."" - Oprah Winfrey

So why are we constantly trying to live up to other peoples expectations? Why are we constantly trying to "keep up with the Jone's"? The answer is simple, but scary. Our ego convinces us that we will be happy if more people like us and if we have what "the Jone's" have. There is a common misconception that only men have an ego, every single one of us has an ego. Most of us are our ego. I have yet to meet a person who has shed their ego.

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like." - Will Rogers

Most people reading this will feel offended in some way, that's the ego's self defense mechanism kicking in. Feel good?

"Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have." - Doris Mortman

So how do we discover our true selves? And why would we want to? All it takes is a decision, once the decision has been taken, our inner guidance takes over. The reason, inner peace. Have you ever seen a new born sleeping? Can you imagine experiencing the inner peace that the new born is experiencing? It is possible. Imagine waking up in the morning not having to worry about a thing, doing what you want to do, not what you feel you have to do. It is possible...., we just need to discover our true self.

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts." - Albert Einstein

"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens." - Carl Jung