Are you being true to yourself?

This week I have witnessed many situations that make me wonder the same question: are we being true to ourselves? Are we truly believing everything we are telling ourselves, or are we just good at self-convincing?

This is actually very important and sometimes, it is good to take a step back and really look at what is going on.

There are many situations where you do things that you regret, where you almost don't understand why you have done it. And you always have good excuses or reasons explaining why. But honestly, deep inside of you, is that really your truth? How can we make the difference between transparent honesty and false self-conviction?

Learning to connect

Learning to connect to yourself is a progressive process, but you feel the difference each step of the way. Yes, you have to meditate every day. Make it your own ritual, your own way: any quiet place, with or without music, in a position where you feel comfortable. Have those 15-20 minutes any time of the day, whenever it suits you best. Make it part of your lifestyle, like brushing your teeth.

Another great way to connect to yourself is to go into nature. Whether it is a green park, a beach, the mountain... Take time to leave the concrete city and spend quality time within real life. Touch it, be barefoot. Let your senses develop: the smell, the touch, the beautiful landscape. Those things will take you back to who you really are.

A very important tip to reconnect to yourself is also about your food. You are what you eat - or rather, you are what you absorb. If you are having processed foods, too much sugary snacks, bad fats instead of the good necessary ones, then you are not allowing your body to function properly, neither your mind. And that keeps you distant from your true inner self.

Not being afraid of changing

"But what will people think?", "will they still like me?", "will I disappoint them?" Many people are afraid of facing their true self because they are afraid of the consequences. Even if they know this is for their own good and that this can truly improve their life at a higher level, sometimes the fear of others' opinion is too big.

My view here is that this often happens step by step. We rarely change all of a sudden. We start discovering things about ourselves, we start learning about who we are and what makes us happy, and little by little, we implement some new changes in our life.

Think of yourself on your death bed. Don't take the risk of regretting things that you didn't do just because of "the others". People who love you always will, and will always support you as you feel better, stronger, more confident and happier.

Of course there are always people there to criticize everything. But you can thank them: the day you are over any type of negative criticism is the day you know you finally got to love yourself for who you truly are. It is liberating and empowering.

Being honest with yourself

I found myself lying to myself a couple of times. Not consciously - I was truly convinced of what I was saying and thinking. But the mind can play tricks on you.

For example: "It is raining again and therefore I am not going to do some Tai Chi outside today". What a lie!! I can put my raincoat on and go out and do just 10 minutes - the rain is actually an amazing way to reconnect to nature.

I often say: "Make every day count." And that's because I truly believe that every single morning is a new start, a new chance, a new opportunity to learn, be better, grow, and feel more aligned with yourself.

Those were my thoughts on this Sunday morning. I hope they will help some of you look at things from a different angle.

In Health and Happiness,

Stephanie