We always hear the cliché “Be yourself!”, or most of us have read those elementary school posters with kittens holding up signs that have a positive self-vindicating message. No matter how cute and easy those kittens make it seem, being yourself can be a difficult task in a world of people-pleasers. Women and men everywhere change themselves for relationships, careers, friends and sometimes even family. Unless you consider your true self Hannibal Lector, then there are so many important benefits to being yourself that can truly make your life not only more happy, but also more successful. So with these 5 benefits of being yourself I ask you to consider the happiness that is achievable just from being good ‘ole you.
1. You don’t have to fake laugh in front of your friends (unless they have adorably terrible jokes and you love them)
When you are truly yourself, you attract people who are just like you and who carry their own unique traits that complement yours. Being yourself allows you to laugh at the top of your lungs while making fun of “Siesta Key” with your best friend, and eating a bowl of popcorn mixed with M&Ms. Please do not settle for less than that.
2. You can look at Sally’s yacht photos and not feel bad about yourself
Being yourself will give you a confidence that overlaps true jealousy. Sure you might wish that you had a yacht like Sally (Or Anna, or Ben, or Monique, etc… whoever’s Instagram you keep stalking), and you might stew over it for 30 seconds, but then you’ll remember that you have great friends, a plan for an amazing career and perhaps the ability to order Insomnia cookies. Sally can have her yacht, your 10 step plan that you made in your 3rd grade diary will get you there eventually.
3. You can talk to the person who gives you butterflies in your stomach
Instead of sweating out your edges over whether Brian (or Peter, or Eric, or Rachel, or Dean… any Bachelorette fans?) likes you, you can spend more of your time wondering whether YOU like THEM. Your future partner should complement you. You want someone who shares the same values that you do, and what better way to attract someone who cares about what you care about than unapologetically being yourself?
4. You’ll have more passionate success
Being yourself allows you to do the things that you are passionate about without the fear of anyone judging you, which in turn can help you to achieve success. If Lady Gaga had stopped wearing meat suits just because people thought it was weird, she may not be the same person she is today, who knows what inspiration she gained from that powerful protein put together (if I wasn’t being myself I would have never come up with that amazing alliteration)? The point is that being yourself allows you to pursue your passions and ignore the naysayers.
5. You can worry less about that ice cream you had after dinner
It’s always important to love yourself and give your body the healthy food that it deserves, but it’s equally important to have that brownie you’ve been eyeing all day instead of restricting yourself and then eating 25 brownies the next day and getting a stomach ache. Being yourself allows you to love yourself more and ignore the restrictive standards of beauty that the media tends to place over all of our heads. When you love yourself more, you won’t beat yourself up so much and you can understand that you are perfect just the way you are. Being yourself reminds you that it’s okay to have that ice cream after dinner once in a while because sometimes YOU just really want some freaking Ben and Jerry’s Karma Sutra. It doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of self love!
Keeping all of those benefits in mind, live your life to your greatest authenticity. Laugh with your friends, ditch partners that invalidate your feelings and go for your goals without worrying about what other people think. Try not to stress so much about acting or looking a certain way in order for people to like you. You’ll eventually find your tribe if you continue to be the amazing human being that you are, and you will thrive while doing it. Remember to thank yourself (and me) when you’re rich and famous.