How to Be Exceptional by Being Yourself

July 31, 2017

“Temet Nosce.” Know thyself.

You’ve probably heard this before: Be true to yourself. While some people never give this much thought, others spend a lifetime trying to figure out what it means.

So, what does it mean?

Being you means embracing and celebrating who you are. Becoming happy with your individuality and expressing yourself in a way that’s consistent with that individuality.

But, why is being yourself so important to success? Because when you know yourself well, including your strengths, weaknesses, and unique perspective, you can leverage those qualities to excel in both your professional and personal life.

The Benefits of Being Yourself

It’s tiring being someone you’re not—so don’t waste your efforts trying to be like everyone else.

When you’re honest about who you are, there’s freedom in that. No more keeping up false appearances or worrying about what others may think of you.

Being in tune with yourself lets you spend more time doing things that align with you and the person you want to be—not wasting time and energy doing things just to please others. Instead, you can focus that saved energy into establishing authentic connections with people and making the best use of your unique talents and abilities to achieve success.

When you’re honest about who you are, you can rest assured knowing that the people in your life are there because they completely accept you. No need to waste time stressing about what others think of you. These strong relationships are an important support network when times get tough and will help you reach your personal and professional goals no matter what obstacles you face.

How to be the Best Version of Yourself

1. Get to Know Yourself

The first step towards being your best self is to define yourself. Answer these questions honestly and take note of the answers:

  • What are your beliefs?
  • What do you enjoy doing?
  • What are your weaknesses, and more importantly, what are your strengths?
  • What makes you feel good about yourself?

Keep in mind that we often discover these things about ourselves through trial and error. You probably won’t be able to answer all these questions right away, but give it time and thought.

The best way to get to know yourself is to pay attention to your feelings and your reactions—they will direct you to the right answers.

2. Put Yourself Out There

“What will they think of me?”

That’s the question that keeps most of us from putting our authentic selves out there for the world to see—because doing so leaves us open to judgment.

Is that really any way to live? If you’re afraid to be yourself, you’ll never reach your full potential.

Express yourself, share your opinions and ideas, introduce yourself to new people, and listen to what they have to say. Set your ego aside. When you’re willing to be vulnerable and genuine, you may be surprised what doors will open for you.

3. Take Responsibility 

Analyze where you are in your life and how you got here. Are you content with your current circumstances?

Whatever your answer, take responsibility for your actions and your situation. What did you do to get yourself here? What are the real reasons behind the decisions you made?

Most importantly, understand that you are responsible for your actions. Once you do, you will realize that you’re also in control of your life. Learn from the past and do better—the present is yours to live to the utmost!

Once you take responsibility for your life, you can own your story. Embracing your path will put the power in your hands to change it for the better.

4. Know that You Are Enough

Ever heard the saying, “Fake it ‘til you make it?”

So many people go through their days with fake smiles and false confidence when deep down they feel insufficient. You don’t have to be the CEO of a multi-million-dollar corporation to be good at what you do or be considered successful.

Just remember that you are worthy of good things and if you work hard for your goals, you’ll achieve them.

5. Believe in Yourself

Stop thinking that if only you were more like someone else, then you would be successful. That kind of mentality leads to low self-confidence, which isn’t helpful in any situation.

While it’s great to have a role model and focus on self-improvement, you don’t have to be exactly like someone else in order to achieve similar goals.

No one else can be as good at being you. Use your strengths to your advantage in order to achieve what you want in life.

Be an Exceptional You 

Being true to yourself has its advantages. In addition to being less stressful and energy-consuming than keeping up false appearances, your unique strengths and talents will set you apart from the crowd.

Being the best version of yourself means that you can achieve your maximum potential. Own your strengths, be willing to be vulnerable and honest with others, and you’ll be amazed at how people respond.

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