Learning to Love Your Authentic Self

“The closer you come to your authentic self, the simpler everything becomes. Listen to your intuition. It will tell you who you are.”  ―  Vironika Tugaleva

But this is my truth, and I give it to you, wholeheartedly and uncensored. On a primal level, I really want to be loved and accepted, but I learn a little more every day that my own self-respect is the foundation of lasting joy.

• Constantly compensate for who you are  with apologies, hedging words, or clarifications for your actions, like you always owe other people explanations.
• Beat yourself up when you make even the slightest mistake .
• Think about your flaws  and feel overwhelming disgust or anger.
• Cling to people who see the best in you  and find it hard to maintain those positive feelings when they walk away.
• Tell yourself that you’re being selfish  whenever you consider meeting your own needs.
• Repeatedly do self-destructive things , or make choices that show you don’t respect or value yourself.
• Don’t consider your needs a priority .
• Always find a reason to talk yourself out of your dreams as if perhaps you don’t deserve to have them.

Life  is  transformation; staying stagnant is a kind of death. But it’s important that we all realize we are beautiful and wonderful just as we are—light and dark, in our complete authentic selves.

• Know that you are not your worst mistakes.

• Know that you have nothing to prove.

• Know the dark is valuable.

• Know that you matter.

• Know that positive feelings and actions breed more.

Get out into the world. Do that thing that scares and excites you. Recognize you’re awesome for doing it, even if in just one small step. Give yourself permission to not be perfect, and instead focus on progress.