Personal Growth

How to Be True to Yourself: Ask (and Answer) These 3 Questions

February 18, 2019

Hi! I'm Marie

You have gifts to share with the world and my job is to help you get them out there.

Read More

Heading

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Button Text

Are all the “shoulds” taking over your life? You know, the ones that say: 

  • You should focus on becoming good at ONE thing — there’s no way you can follow all your passions.
  • You should tone down your message, you don’t want to scare anyone away.
  • You’re over 35. You should really think about having kids soon.
  • You should be on social media more. You’re missing out on potential customers!
  • You should lay off the mankinis, they might make some people uncomfortable.

That’s a lot — but they’re REAL “shoulds” people have either told me directly or I’ve felt myself through unspoken societal and cultural expectations. 

That’s not to say all expectations are bad. Washing your hands after you use the bathroom is a smart “should” in my opinion. 

[bctt tweet="Living for other people’s expectations guarantees you’ll fall short of your own. " username="marieforleo"]

But, in the broader sense, it’s easy to let external expectations and pressures sweep you away from your true self. Before you know it, you’re living life on autopilot, barely aware of the choices you’re making and the reasons behind them.

Signs You’re Disconnected From Your True Self

It’s a natural human desire to want to please the people around us. We’re social creatures who thrive in community. But you don’t have to suppress your true nature or ignore your deepest heart’s desire in order to be loved and accepted. 

Your time here on earth is limited. Don’t waste it chasing approval and ignoring what you really want.

Here are some signs you’re not being true to yourself:

The Risks of Ignoring Your Inner Voice

Depending on what messages you heard growing up, it can feel downright wrong to break out of the conventional way of doing things. Being honest about what you really want can feel offensive, selfish, or just unimportant.

When you reach the end of your life, will you regret not listening to your heart?

Will you recall lost opportunities and dreams unfulfilled? Will you think of all the lies you told — to yourself and to others to stay safe, comfortable, and likeable? 

My guess is yes. That’s not a risk not worth taking.

3 Questions to Help You Be More True To Yourself

In the video below, you’ll get a 3-part question that will help you create a life that’s more true to yourself. It’s inspired by the #1 regret from Bronnie Ware’s phenomenal book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.

Think of it as a gut check — a quick exercise you can go back to whenever you feel like your inner voice is being drowned out by society’s expectations.

Don’t just think your answers in your head, write them down. Seeing and reading your words gives you extra motivation to make change. If you don’t have a pen and paper handy, type them out in the comments below.

Once you’ve watched, I’d love to hear from you. 

What new insights did you glean and what actions are you going to take to be more true to yourself?

Share as much detail as you can. Hundreds of thousands of incredible souls come here for insight and inspiration. Your story may be just what someone else needs to have a major breakthrough.

Important: please share your thoughts and ideas directly in the comments. Links to other posts, videos, etc. may be removed.

Thank you so much for watching, sharing, and adding your perspective. Keep listening to that small voice inside. As you know, life comes with a 100% mortality rate. 

This is an urgent call to pay attention to the limited time you have left. Because the world really does need that special gift that only you have.

With SO much ❤️,

XO

View Comments