The progress of time influences a person. There's no need to look far; social media exposure alone can change our attitudes and behavior. Many even try to create a different image of themselves to be liked by people on social media. Therefore, we need to keep striving to be ourselves and live a life that reflects reality. How do we do that? Don't miss the discussion below, nicePeople.
Knowing Yourself
Being yourself means having a high awareness of who we are, what we want, and being able to express ourselves honestly. You are able to act in a way that shows your authentic self, without pretense. Here you dare to express yourself (self-revelation) truthfully and completely.
Quoting from Soul Salt, authenticity includes:
- Expressing personal opinions honestly in an appropriate way
- Making decisions that align with your values and beliefs
- Pursuing interests (passion) or things you like
- Listening to your inner voice that guides you forward
- Opening yourself up
- Setting boundaries and distancing yourself from harmful (toxic) situations
Before showing your true self, you need to know who you really are. Only then can you do self-revelation. To achieve this, of course, you need self-awareness, mindfulness, and self-acceptance.
In this era of technological advancement, it is indeed increasingly difficult to be oneself. We are bombarded with all sorts of information about other people's lives, the desire to be a different person, and even rules on how to express ourselves. All these influences gradually reduce our ability to be ourselves. Yet, hiding who you truly are can trigger feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, or even cut off your connection with others.
Dare to Be Yourself
Being honest with yourself is a lifelong practice. It requires a long-term commitment. The answer to what is right for you lies in your heart. Try to give yourself a chance to listen to it.
When you succeed in being yourself, you will be more honest with your feelings, judgments, and desires. You can also convey your ideas, opinions, and feelings to others. Later, you will become more open, cheerful, and feel free. Conversely, if you are not honest with yourself, feelings of pressure, discomfort, emptiness, void, and dissatisfaction will emerge.
Therefore, you need to cultivate a relationship and trust with yourself. By paying more attention to yourself, a strong relationship will be built. Later, you will be more confident and believe in what is truly good for you. So, keep trying to bravely show yourself as you are.
How to Maintain Your Authenticity
After understanding the importance of being yourself, you can start building and maintaining your authenticity. Here are some ways to develop and maintain self-authenticity:
- Find your strengths, then continuously improve and maximize that potential.
- Knowing and living by the values you believe in life.
- Acknowledge external and internal influences on your habits and behavior. This includes influences from within yourself, people around you, and your environment. From there, find out what is important to you and your life goals.
- Practice mindfulness to get to know yourself better, such as regularly doing self-reflection and daily journaling.
- Build a good support system from friends, family, and colleagues.
- Build the courage to face all anxiety, fear, and overthinking.
- Do daily habits that can show your authenticity and align with your principles.
- Commit to acting in accordance with every word you say. This can show integrity, build trust, and inspire others.
- Don't easily get discouraged or offended by other people's opinions. Also realize that you cannot please everyone.
- Learn to say no to things that are not aligned. Set boundaries for yourself.
- Know what you prioritize and always do your best.
Also read: The Importance of Small Steps to Make Big Changes, Here Are the Tips!
Maintaining Self-Identity
It is not easy to maintain self-authenticity. Over time, everything can change. However, naPocut as a brand has tried to maintain its self-identity since 2005. Throughout its journey, naPocut has always held onto its values. Even with changes, naPocut still strives to adapt without forgetting its identity.
One form of naPocut's identity is its consistent quality. From the beginning, naPocut has been committed to providing hijab and Muslim women's clothing products that prioritize quality, not just appearance. For this reason, naPocut consistently uses premium materials as a form of self-revelation to satisfy nicePeople. As a result, naPocut products have strong durability and can be used for a long time (timeless). What do you think, nicePeople, do you agree?