“There will only be one of you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.”
I saw this quote on a wall in the office of someone I met many years ago. I liked it so much that I had a poster with this quote framed and hung it up in my home. This saying has served as a guiding principle for how I want to live my life. It hasn’t been easy at times, but focusing on my uniqueness and not letting fear get in my way of being myself has helped me tremendously in my life.
Fearlessly being yourself means knowing yourself and being comfortable with who you are. I’m an extrovert, so I often initiate conversations with strangers. I let my authentic self shine through in my interactions with others. Have I experienced a few awkward or uncomfortable moments doing this? Sure, but more often than not, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with people in a positive way.
Some people (including my own family) may think I’m crazy for talking to strangers or they may feel uncomfortable with potentially embarrassing themselves. Whatever the situation, oftentimes people experience FEAR as False Events Appearing Real. That’s an acronym for FEAR that I learned years ago and has been an important reminder for me throughout my life.
What is holding you back because of FEAR? What are some ways you can fearlessly be yourself? Are there people in your life who can help you step out of your comfort zone? What support do you need to become more fearless?
It’s common for people to conjure up reasons for not doing something that is beyond their comfort zone. I’m not talking about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane (which I would never do, by the way.) I’m talking about opportunities to fearlessly be yourself. That could be finding a volunteer activity that resonates with your values. It could be making time to explore your creativity in new ways. It could be joining a community organization or church group. The possibilities are limitless!
It’s incredibly important for all of us to recognize our own unique value, and go out and fearlessly be ourselves in this world. Are you up to the challenge?