4 Ways to Find and Embrace the Authentic You

If you know me personally, then bear with me as I give a little preview of what makes me, well - me. 

I'm a loud, bubbly individual who you can hear before you can see. I'm best known for my audible laugh that is both alarming and contagious - I'm sarcastic, witty, bold, funny, impulsive, happy and overall one big goofball. I work hard. I love hard. I care hard. As I've eluded to in other blog posts, I live hard. I'm ambitious, driven, dedicated and entrepreneurial. I value constant improvement, empowerment and development. 

But I'm also a procrastinator. I can be forgetful. I'm sensitive. I'm stubborn. I'm short-fused. I'm bad at slowing down. 

Now, you might be thinking, "dang, she really just called herself all those things?? Defined who she is?" Yeah, I wasn't always able to do that. I actually still cringed a little writing this blog out. However, it's something that I've recently been able to own. 

I think this is a concept we all tend to struggle with - who we really are. We have ideas of who we should be, who we want to be, who others want us to be (and it goes on and on). But what about who we actually are?

If you're someone who understands and embraces who you are, power to you. However, if not, here's some tips to help you accept the authentic you. 

1.) Determine who "you" are.

In order to accept who you are, you have to sit down and be honest about who that is. What makes you, you? Are you loud or quiet? Innovative or reserved? Closed minded or open? There is no right answer. You have to genuinely understand whatever characteristics you possess in order to own them.

2.) Accept her, forgive her, love her. 

Although it's cheesy - you have a unique gift of being literally YOU. There's at least one thing you can do that no one else out there can. Are you perfect? No. Do you need to be? HELL NO. Look in a mirror. Look at the girl who wakes up to fight through each day and thank her. Forgive her. Love her. You are your biggest critic, but it's time to be your biggest supporter.

3.) Don't explain her.

This is something I struggled with a lot. Then I heard something that resonated with me. "Stop explaining yourself to people who are determined to misunderstand you." The truth is, you can't control how others see you; however, you can control how YOU see you. At the end of the day, that's whose opinion matters.

4.) Be open to improving her.

That being said, be open to improvement. I'm a strong believer in working each day to be a better version of you than yesterday. Accept who you are, but understand the things you can and can't change. 

... And Finally

Take your time with this. It's easy to belittle and hate someone who knows and accepts who they are - don't. We're all on a journey to figure out what the heck we're doing here. Be kind. Be understanding. Be helpful. 

and once you find your authentic you, show her off for the world to see. 

- Natalie xoxo

Owner of Darling Authority Boutique