Being completely ourselves around others can be a scary thing. It makes us vulnerable and can lead us to thoughts and anxiety about how others may see us - are they judging us? What are they thinking? But by being someone other than who we truly are hurts both ourselves and the people we are hiding our true self from. If the people in our lives don't know who we truly are then do they know us at all? They only care and know about the person we pretend to be. And as we hide who we truly are from others we are denying ourselves the freedom of sharing and connecting and experiencing things with others that are real and not fraught with anxiety over maintaining a facade.
Do we really want to be acknowledged and cared about based on someone we are not. Those who matter will love us for who we truly are and will respect us even when we have differences.
Take a leap of faith - be yourself - love yourself - and let others love you!
