Stand apart ….
One of the things that will make you stand apart is your self belief. Trusting your authentic self that you are credible enough to withstand challenges and curveballs without compromising yourself and who you are as a person. We live in a world which teaches you to reduce yourself so that you can win. Many a time reducing yourself only creates doubt,self esteem challenges and depletes your self confidence.
One of the things that has helped me a lot is self awareness. Knowing and understanding myself and being unapologetic about it. We are living in a world where people want to manipulate and control others to their advantage or benefit. However, at the end of the day , You must only be loyal to yourself and no one else. That way you are at peace with yourself no matter what people try to do or throw at you.
In the hardest of situations, you will doubt yourself and your decisions, However , as long as at the core of your decisions lies your authentic self you will have nothing to worry about . It’s high time we became unapologetic about ourselves. No one is perfect. No one has figured life out and we are all in this world trying to put our best foot forward.
Therefore, as women we need to relearn and re educate ourselves about a lot of things.
As women ( black African)we are taught and encouraged to put others first and ourselves later. Like an afterthought. Well this doesn’t help. It only reduces you as a person and leaves you feeling frustrated. From experience, I noticed I always put others first and only thought of myself much later. Well , Guess what ? It takes you absolutely nowhere. The irony in all this is that even the people you were helping, putting first and gave priority may turn against you and have no loyalty towards you. They will say things like, “I didn’t ask you to do that for me “ or “You didn’t have to do that”. Long story short, I have realised that regardless of where you are in life , You must put yourself first, think of yourself first and others later. When you do that and stick to who you truly are , People begin to respect you because you begin to stand out like a polished diamond and your value and skills come to the fore.
No one likes a person who is toned down a lot and at the same time no one likes a person who’s over the top because they are not easy to manipulate. Therefore, it’s better to be yourself because either way , you still won’t be liked in some cases. Therefore, doing you always leaves you feeling good regardless of the situation because you gave it your best.
When reach that level of self awareness and realisation you automatically develop self confidence and self respect. When you know who you are at the core that becomes your compass in life. No matter where you go and what you do or get involved with your authentic self reveals itself and you begin living your best life.
Furthermore, An authentic person achieves a lot more in life and in many aspects and spheres of life. This is because authenticity eradicates doubt and fear.
Be true to yourself and you will fly high.
Disclaimer:
This piece is based on my own experiences and thoughts about life.
About the Author:
The writer is passionate about uplifting women and children from disadvantaged communities. She also passionate about building and developing Small Micro And Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) through Leadership Training and Strategy Formulation.
©️ Charity Katotobwe
