Know Yourself First Then Be Yourself

Did you recall when was the last time you told yourself, or were you told to be yourself? Let’s face it. “Be Yourself” is very popular in this judging and criticizing modern society. Because of our human social survival instinct, you are afraid of being judged, criticized, or rejected. So you always want to conform to societal norms to feel accepted. 

Be Yourself Mojo

In that case, the “be yourself” mojo becomes very handy. If you are struggling with self-expression verbally or physically, be yourself and express it; If you lack confidence in doing something, be yourself and do it; If you fear that others will judge if you speak about the truth, be yourself and just say it.

All of them are valid. “Be yourself” is a magical spell that will cast your fears away so that you can get out of your comfort zone and experience something new.

However, you use “be yourself” to avoid, escape, and retreat to your comfort zone in other situations. If that’s the case, being yourself is just another nonsense cliche you use to excuse yourself. 

How can you tell whether you use “be yourself” as fuel or an excuse? Just examine your definition of yourself.

Definition of Yourself

How do you define yourself? You probably say your thoughts, feelings, personality, and preferences. Are those the true expression of “yourself”? If you look at them closely, you will see that all your thoughts, feelings, personality, and preferences are just a collection of your memories, including experiences, knowledge, and sometimes imagination. If you think your memories are you, you can easily lose yourself.

If one day, you wake up and can’t remember a single thing. You lost all those memories you have collected over the years:

You studied architecture and had a license, so you are a professional architect. You bought all things in that color, and you know your favorite color is blue. Of all the food you have tasted, you only have one specific meal you enjoy the most, and you know it’s your favorite. You’ve been a member of that prestigious chess club.

But one day, when you wake up, you lose all those beautiful memories. You forgot that you are an architect, like the color blue, enjoy one specific taste, or are a chess player. You forget all your identities and preferences; therefore, you lose yourself. How tragic!

Wait a minute! But when you were born, you didn’t have any memories yet. You were as pure and blank as a piece of paper. Was that a real you? Of course. But now, if you lose your memories, you lose yourself? That doesn’t sound right. 

Be Yourself Don’t Limit Yourself

You see, your identities, personalities, preferences, hobbies, and favorites are all your memories. Your memories give you a sense of social belonging. They are your collections but not you. Any moment if you lose all the old memories, you can collect new memories just like when you were a baby.

Let me remind you that when you were a baby, you were that kind of human being that was open to all sorts of possibilities, experiences, and exploration because you didn’t identify yourself with your memories. But when you grow up, you bound yourself to those memories. If you can only act according to your memories, what you will lose is not yourself; it will be your possibilities, the true you.

That being when you were born was the original you and still is. Over time, you just collected memories, knowledge, and experience and claimed them to be yourself, so you lost the real you. Yourself is more than what you experienced. Next time you say, “I want to be myself,” make sure your past knowledge and experience do not limit you. Just be open to all possibilities and be willing to take whatever option is available. 

Onenergy Qigong program can help explore your true self that resides in this body and mind.