In this day and age, where everyone shares a mostly one-sided, happy and successful, version of themselves online, it’s hard to stay true to yourself.
However, while the world might be changing, you shouldn’t change your character to something you’re not.
We used to live in a world where we only knew the people in our close network. We knew their names, their family, their pains, and their gains. Now, with social media, we know the lives of distant relatives, old co-workers, and even ex(es).
Now the question is, “Do we really know their lives as well as we think?”.
It’s a fact that as individuals we want people to see us in our best light. We hide the funny pictures of our childhood, never mention our insecurities, and only show what we’re proud of.
So how do you not get caught up in the perfection of social media and stay true to yourself?
Stop the Comparison
One of our first pitfalls when it comes to social media is that we are constantly comparing ourselves to the world out there.
Is our body as good?
Are our achievements as big?
Is our life as adventurous?
It’s these comparisons that prompt us to change our character, to change our actions, and to change our lives to fit the next popular Instagram hashtag.
Your life should never be curated to fit a social media profile because what you see on social media is just a portion of the truth.
The romantic brunch picture you saw on Instagram fails to tell how the couple might have fought just before snapping that pic.
Or how many pictures it took for that one awesome picture of the yoga teacher because she felt self-conscious about her body.
Build your Character
Having a strong foundation means that you’ll be able to withstand any hard wind.
That no matter what you see out there you know who you are and what you stand for. That means a new trend won’t make you change course because you do see the bigger picture.
Make strengthening your character part of your goals and it will eventually help you to stay true to yourself.
Lead with Authenticity
Authenticity should be a word that is high up on your vocabulary list.
It should be the value that leads your actions and ultimately your life. Being authentic is a fulltime job and not an easy one as a matter of fact.
Leading with authenticity means guarding yourself against the outside.
It’s remembering that honesty is always the best policy. No matter what you do or how you lead your life, staying true to yourself is always important.
Sometimes one wonders why ‘staying true to yourself’ is not a subject they teach you at school. It’s one of the most difficult tasks, but also the most rewarding. It liberates you from the expectations of society and the burden it places on your emotions. That why being yourself should be a mission we should always strive to stay close to. To keep at heart who we are and live a life of freedom.
