Becoming Your Whole Self Begins With The Truth
Posted on 6th October 2021 at 18:45
'When I first started writing about exploring spirituality in my life and my decision to conduct a research study on the topic, I got some well-meaning feedback that perhaps I should focus on a more commercially palatable subject. That it might pigeon-hole how people perceived me and what I offered and impact my broader business. I understood completely what they were suggesting, and I was not naïve to that risk. However, I also understood to follow that advice would be to suppress part of who I am. And this was a bigger risk I was not willing to take.
I believe a key purpose to each life is to fully express who you are. What you do, how you live, your relationships and your legacy will all flow naturally from a commitment to allow all parts of yourself to be seen and expressed in the world. It does, of course, come with a set of challenges. We all have parts we are shy to show. More practically, when you do or are interested in multiple things, it can be difficult to succinctly explain all of who you are. To compound matters, we live in the era of the elevator pitch; a form of human reductionism. We are actively encouraged to keep it short and one-dimensional.
A core part of my business is speaking and writing. I understand only too well the power of language. The potency of a well-placed sentence. A powerful quote. How crafting a narrative can resonate with an audience and shift their perspective. Yet, for me, there will always be nothing more powerful than the truth. When we try to amplify parts of ourselves because we believe that’s what the market wants, the natural effect is that another part must be suppressed. When you tell the truth about who you are, life becomes simpler. There is no role variation. No trying to fit in.
Cultivating this form of authenticity involves the art of trust. We must trust that the right people will find our contradictions and multi-dimensional nature interesting and compelling. And while others will not, this cultivates self-trust because we learn we can survive that also. Personally, I have found there is greater self-acceptance, less explaining and more peaceful living when we decide to stick with the truth. Ultimately, in life and business, we don’t always need to strategize so much as communicate clearly who we are.
.
Share this post: