How to Be More of Who You Are

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For years I tried on different lifestyles trying to figure out which one was mine. I tried being the housewife, the adventurer, the breadwinner, the holistic momma, the corporate go-getter, and much more. I needed to go through an elimination process to figure out what I wasn’t before defining what I would be. I think that’s okay. Not all of us come out of the womb knowing our life path. Four years ago I began a journey of self-discovery. I spent more time alone than I ever have to learn about myself, other people, noting what I liked and disliked. I explored destinations alone and reflected in a new journal every month. Pages upon pages were written trying to connect the dots of who I used to be to who I am now. I am told that only a small percentage of people are self-aware. I yearned to be a part of that group. The more I discovered about myself the more I became intentional in my choices resulting in more peace and joy than I knew before. If you are at a similar place in life where you just ache to be more of who you are here are a few things that might help.

Create Inspiration Boards

I have a variety of virtual boards I post images to because I’m such a visual person. I have this mood board I recently created on Pinterest filled with items that inspire me. The look and feel of the images will carry over into the way I style photographs for Three Heel Clicks and other content I produce. If you are less visual and more auditory, try making a new playlist. A mood board isn’t limited to just visual things. You can capture taste, texture, atmosphere, and sound. Start with your bedroom. You spend a ton of time in there sleeping, resting, or just getting dressed. What do you like about it? What would you change? What do you want it to feel like when you walk in? Move through each space in the house one at a time making it just a little more to your taste. When our environment shifts, your inner voice is able to come out. Not sure where to begin? Start small. Try switching up your pillows on your bed with something luxurious or minimal if that fancies you.

Journal Everyday

I understand not everyone has an affinity for writing things down the way I feverishly scribe, but at least bullet point things every day so you have a record of patterns. When you write something down you know is true it reinforces it in the brain. Start making notes of what you like, dislike, want to add to your life, and what you aim to discard. You’ll start forming patterns over time that you can adjust intentionally. I noticed I get stressed when there is a lot of clutter in my home. I also noticed that I tend to be messy when I don’t have a good system in place. Now if an area starts to look troublesome I attack it by sorting, discarding, and then grabbing bins or dividers to keep it tidy. By writing down the things I found stressful, I was able to connect the dots and adjust my behavior to better fit the lifestyle I aimed to live.

Let Go of Opinions

As you become more aware of who you are, you will not always agree with those around you. They may have a different value system or find importance in something you think is trivial. That’s the beauty of humankind - we all are unique in our own way. Embrace it. I’m a 5’0 tall firecracker with a tenacious drive, love for aesthetics, and passion to help people be better versions of themselves. When I started sharing the tools I was using to style my life, help my mental health improve, and stay organized my audience responded with overwhelming support! Find your niche, and share it with as many people as you know. If someone does not agree, acknowledge but you can move on. You each have a responsibility to be who you are and contribute to the world in your own way! It’s okay if you don’t see eye to eye on everything.

The more you take baby steps towards things you like and away from things that you dislike, the more you’ll discover your place in the world. Take action, then reflect, make adjustments and repeat. Hope you all are off to an awesome Monday!