Finding Your Truth

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

~Dolly Parton

Have you ever felt petrified of being thought of as different or weird?

For me, I was always trying to fit in that I lived my life doing things in the hope that other people would like me.  Or, that they wouldn’t think that I was different or weird.  Because of this, I never really took the time to think about things that made me happy or what I wanted.  Instead, I let society do all my thinking for me.

When I finally realized that doing things just to fit in was a recipe for utter misery, I started to explore more about who I was and what I wanted.  I knew that I had different qualities and attributes than everyone else but I was too afraid to embrace them.  I considered these differences more like a curse than a blessing.  However, when I thought about the times when I was doing things that were best suited to my unique personality.  Rather than running from these things, I had to embrace them.  Otherwise, I would never experience the happiness that I so desperately craved.

“You should never judge or criticize yourself because you do things differently than someone else.  You are supposed to do things differently.  It is what makes you special.”

You have unique talents and characteristics too.  Now you may not think that right now, but I assure you that you do.  There are things that make you special.  And these things have nothing to do with your size, your looks, your bank account, or how many friends you have on social media.  They come from within.  The really cool part is your unique attributes are not something that make you special in the future, when you have lost weight or look better in a bikini… or any other kind of future.  Rather, they make you special right now.

As I began to experiment doing things in a different way and incorporating my unique skills and attributes more into my life, I developed a set of truths that have come to form the basis of my wellness programs.  I have been teaching them to women and young people these basics to help them recognize their truth and purpose in life.

Now, even though I say these truths were developed, they actually came to my mind more like a lightning bolt. They were so clear and loud to me that they were impossible to ignore.  And they were not just vague ideas that I could think about and implement at some point in the future.  These were things that I felt compelled to act on immediately.  And let me tell you, they have made all the difference.

I want you to experience the liberating power of these truths too, so let’s dive right in.

Truth #1

YOU ARE UNIQUE

The first basic truth is that you are a unique individual.  Because of this you are supposed to be different than everyone else, and this is a really good thing.

Think about it like this…

Even though there are nearly seven billion people in the world, no two people are exactly alike.  While we share many characteristics, we are all different.  The way we look, think, feel, act, move.  Because of this, you should never judge yourself or criticize yourself in any way because you do things differently than someone else.  You are supposed to do things differently.  It is what makes you special.  This is especially true when addressing your mental health.

The concept of mental health has always been a taboo topic because as a culture we have been brainwashed to believe that we should fake it until we make it.  And I was one of the masses that mastered the art of faking it.  Until you inevitably crash and burn.  And as you probably know this is most people.

Here is what it boils down to…

No one has your body. No one has your structure, your form, your goals, your limitations or your history.  You are unique and you need to move uniquely.  Trying to move like someone else just does not make sense.  It’s not smart.  Not only could copying someone else actually be dangerous, but also there is something really powerful about learning to be authentically yourself and moving your body in your unique way.

With this in mind I try to encourage my clients to experiment with movement that makes them comfortable.  Basically give yourself permission to be authentic, to be unique and to be creative.  Essentially to be yourself.  It is quite remarkable to witness as this is not a physical thing, it goes much deeper than that.

You see, like me, women are just tired of punishing themselves to look and act a certain way.  And simply advising women to give themselves permission to move in a way that felt right for them is a catalyst for them taking liberties in other areas of their life.  All of a sudden they started having more self-confidence, doing things they normally would not and most importantly – accepting and loving their bodies.  All because they started to move in a way that felt right for them.  Looking back, this simple yet powerful experiment was the beginning of my improved mental health.

“Don’t try to follow anyone else’s rules. Don’t try to follow anyone else’s anything.  Follow your own intuitive self.”

Coming to appreciate your unique attributes and qualities can sometimes be overwhelming.  Many of you have beaten yourself up for so long with terrible and destructive self-talk, that you may not believe that you are special or unique in any way.  I assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.  As you continue with me, I will show you how to recognize and embrace all of your remarkable and amazing gifts.

For now, please accept that because you are unique, you should be different and this makes you special.  So, let yourself be different.  Do not try to follow anyone else’s patterns.  Do not try to follow anyone else’s rules.  Do not try to follow anyone else’s anything.  Follow your own intuitive self.  The deepest desires of your heart and what you want to do.