EP 03 How to Be Your True Self

Who am I? Who am I really?

It’s the question we often ask ourselves and usually find difficult to answer with full and authentic honesty. Instead, we may opt to conform: to do what we think is right and be the kind of person we believe will be most accepted by our peers. Such behavior is deeply rooted in us, reflecting the biology of our primal ancestors. As a result, when someone tells you to disregard what others think and “just be yourself,” you are, in a way, working against an internal need to be liked and accepted by others.

Carl Jung wrote extensively about the process of individuation, which, in short, is the layered process of finding your true, authentic self. Individuation occurs when you recognize and acknowledge your persona (the personality that you present to the world) and integrate it with the contents of your unconscious mind, including your shadow (the disowned and hidden part of you that exists in the background of your everyday life). By connecting to your inner voice—your authentic self—you become conscious and aware of your true vocation. This is the journey toward the person you are meant to be, your journey to wholeness.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/strategies-living/202207/how-be-your-true-self?fbclid=IwAR0p7hnXnkuJIkuaiA6gRvkdL4nUkDfiNZ0-_WrvuvO0B51ocZ_UT0Dfz2c