It may seem like a foregone question, but the truth is that today it is normal to take on different social masks to relate to people. We do not behave the same way at work, with friends, with a partner or when we are alone or know someone who shares the same interests as us. The problem is that by dint of using these different masks we forget who we really are and we begin to feel bad, we feel a sense of emptiness.Being yourself does not mean behaving the same way in different contexts, because these changes are part of social adaptation. However, it means being more natural and spontaneous, finding ways to express our identity in each of these contexts without feeling embarrassed. How can this be achieved?
1. By increasing self-knowledge. You can't be authentic if you don't know each other, it's simple. Many people use these social masks simply because they are not clear about what their value system is, what their abilities are, and what they want from life. Self-knowledge is the way to become ourselves, you will feel at ease and express it in each of our activities. What do you like? What motivates you? What do you want to accomplish? What are your strengths?
2. Work on self-confidence. Most people fail to be authentic because they don't trust themselves, they don't believe that showing themselves for who they are would be accepted as they would like. Therefore, a fundamental pillar of authenticity is to trust oneself, which does not mean that one should believe that one is Superman, we all have flaws, and it is important to recognize them, but it is also necessary that a positive view of one's abilities prevail. .3. Accept yourself as you are. How can others be expected to accept us if we do not accept ourselves? One of the secrets of people who behave in an unscrupulous and authentic way lies in the unconditional acceptance of themselves. These people are aware that they have flaws and make mistakes, but even so, they love their potential and accept themselves without contempt or feeling guilty. 4. Don't seek approval. We all love to be accepted and to meet people who always open their arms to us wherever we go, but this is not always the case, and the sooner we accept it the faster we will be able to free ourselves from the need for approval. This does not mean that we will be immune to negative criticism or rejection, because basically we continue to be social beings. However, we will learn to face life with a more mature attitude by learning to find the balance between the need to adapt to the social environment and the possibility of expressing ourselves as we are. Avoid perfectionism. Being yourself and at the same time trying to behave perfectly are two concepts that do not go together. Being yourself means being more natural, more authentic, acting without barriers and, obviously, this attitude can lead us to make mistakes. Therefore, in striving to be more authentic we should learn to accept mistakes as if they were life lessons by abandoning perfectionism which is just a cage that limits our potential.
