Living Your Truth and Recognizing Your True Worth

Rev. Dr. Kitty Boitnott, NBCT, RScP

Heart-Centered Career Transition and Job Search Coach | Stress Management Coaching

There is a lot of talk in books and magazines these days about "living your truth," but have you given any thought to what that really means? More specifically, have you thought about what it means to you?

Living your truth is all about living authentically and embracing yourself, warts and all. It means not always trying to live up to the expectations of others, even at the risk of disappointing them.

Living your truth isn't always easy. And because it isn't, many people choose to follow social convention and live according to what others want and expect of them. They set aside their inner truth in part because they fear rejection. They don't want to be ostracized by family, friends, and the community.

I remember a conversation that I had with a new client a while back. She wanted to find a new career, but she was riddled with doubt and fear. Her worries weren't because she was doubtful that she wanted to leave teaching. It was because she didn't want to disappoint her parents.

She told me that her parents had only agreed to pay for her college education if she promised to become a teacher. She was afraid of their reaction when she told them she hated teaching and wanted a new career. When she complained about her job, her mother, a former teacher now retired, told her to "suck it up." 

My client was miserable because she knew in her heart that teaching wasn't what she was meant to do with her life, but she was also miserable because she dreaded telling her parents that she wanted to change jobs.

That isn't any way to live.

Living your truth means accepting yourself for exactly who you are. And it means doing with your life what you know you are meant to be doing whether other people approve or not.

But that is so much easier to say than to do. To live your truth and be your authentic self, you have to be honest with yourself. You have to accept all your flaws, regardless of how bad you think they are. And you need to learn to work with them to your advantage if you can.

Living authentically isn't just about accepting your flaws, however. It is also about embracing the wonderful parts of yourself. Lots of people try to hide their talents and gifts because they don't want to be in the spotlight. They shy away from the fact that their gifts are meant to be shared.

Think of all the musicians you have followed over the years. What if they had decided at some point not to share their music with the world? How empty would the world be? The same goes for artists and dancers. Whatever your gift happens to be, nurture it, and don't be afraid to share it.

Living your truth means that you love and accept yourself unconditionally and that includes embracing your talents and being willing to share them.

Embrace the life that you have been given. Be grateful for everything and everyone in it! 

This doesn't mean that you can't change your path in life. It just means that you make a decision that you will be happy with yourself. You always have a choice about what you want to keep and what you want to eliminate in your life.

Living your truth will definitely change your life.

We live in an age of social media, and as a result, you may feel pressured to compare yourself to others. As a result, you might think that you need to succumb to social pressures by changing yourself in some way. Whether it's physical, mental, or emotional, there is a lot of pressure in today's world that can make you feel like you don't "measure up" in some way.

We all went through a phase like that in middle school when we were figuring out who we were and where we fit in. Remember? I sure do.

But as adults, we should know better. Yet, it's hard sometimes not to feel like if things were different--if you were somehow different--your life would be better.

Feeling that you lack something or trying to change yourself to make others happy is stressful, however. That's why deciding to live your truth can free you from feeling that anything is lacking or that you need to change anything.

Choose to be true to yourself and don't compare yourself to anyone else.

Having less stress in your life because you are living your truth will have many side benefits. You will feel less tired. Your health, in general, will improve. In short, living your truth can help you transform your life to be happier and healthier overall.

How can you live your truth?

If you are struggling with finding a way to live your truth, don't feel bad. You aren't alone in that. But, unfortunately, accepting yourself just the way you are is no easy feat!

You can start by embracing your true self-worth. You have talents, aptitudes, and God-given gifts that are unique to you alone. Recognizing how special you are can help you to feel more accepting of yourself.

One way you can realize your worth is by making a list of all the things in which you excel. And don't do this once, but do it daily.

Also, include in this list all the fabulous people and beautiful things you have in your life for which to be grateful.

The best and most important part of what it means to live your truth is that no one else can tell you how to do it! 

Only you know what your truth is and the best way to live it. This is why it can be difficult to tell you how to live your truth. It means different things to you than it does to anyone else in the entire world.

So, as you embark on the journey to live your truth, you should feel as if you are making the right decisions for yourself. If someone tries to tell you how to live your truth, don't listen to them.

After all, it's your truth!

Overall, living your truth means living a life filled with acceptance and gratitude for who you are and all you have. It also means living a life with less stress because you will be happy with who you are. Living your truth won't always be easy, but it's your truth, so don't let anyone persuade you otherwise.

Until next time.

P. S.

If you are struggling with a decision about how to best live your truth, perhaps it would help to talk about it. I am always available to talk about job or career decisions that may have you feeling stuck at the moment. To set up a complimentary Discovery Session, click on this link:  https://teachersintransition.com/calendar.