To live in your truth simply means to live as your most authentic self (Authenticity), doing things daily that bring you happiness and joy, living as true to yourself as possible.
For many, to live in their truth would be the absolute dream, what I am here to tell you is that it doesn’t need to be a dream, it can, in fact, be a reality.
This article will explain what living in your truth actually is, how to understand if you are already there and if you’re not already there, some action steps that will help you get there.
What is living in your truth?
When we follow too many societal norms we can quite easily lose some of ourselves, some of our true self. When we live the life we think we should live we stop living the life we want to live. In the modern world, there are so many societal expectations especially on women, to have a career, have a baby, get married, be a housewife, you know, the list goes on, it applies to men too (but not so much let’s be real). We follow these ‘safe and comfortable’ patterns and fall into preconceived roles as that is all we know, and ultimately we find comfort and security in it. It makes sense to most of us to follow these norms because they are comfortable. But actually, there’s so much out there that you are missing when you stay in that comfort zone.
Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have a career, have a baby, get married or be a housewife – not in the slightest, for some people that is living in their truth and they’re more than happy and satisfied with their life. But I imagine if you are reading this article it is because you are not entirely satisfied and you feel like something is missing, something just isn’t quite right.
One day you may well take a step back and say ‘No! I’m going to live the life I WANT to live, not the life I think I should live and everyone around me thinks I should live’. This day will be a powerful day for all of those that get there! It is empowering to take control of your life, your destiny and ultimately your happiness. I hope by the end of this article you feel empowered to do exactly that.
Living in your truth becomes a reality the day you decide to take control of your life, life the life you want to live and do things daily that bring you happiness and joy.
I will add – there are always going to be things in life that we sometimes have to do even though we’d rather not and they don’t bring us joy, but if you can keep these to a minimum it will help. I love to suggest an 80/20 rule with most things in life. If you can ensure the majority of your time is spent doing the things you love, for yourself then you’ll be on the path to success for sure.
How to know if you’re already living in your truth
- You’re content with your life
You’re happy with your work/career/job, your home life is great, if you want to take a dance class – you take a dance class. Life is Good! - You don’t seek approval or validation from others
You do the things you want to do, for you. - People will often tell you how well/happy/glowing you look.
You’ll welcome those compliments because you’ll feel well/happy/glowing in yourself! - You do more of what your soul craves and less of what doesn’t bring you joy
You say no to things that don’t bring you joy or add value to your life. You sign up for new experiences and classes that your soul craves and desires - You don’t rely on others to feel good about yourself
You feel complete, whole and a have a lot of self-love, worth and respect when you live in your truth - You accept that life is imperfect
Although life is good, it will never be perfect, when you live in your truth you accept this fact.
How to take steps to live in your truth
The first step is to identify the things that light you up, it might be painting, singing, dancing, helping others, cooking, things that make you feel alive and bring you joy. List these things in your journal and think about how you can do more of them.
Ask yourself this, if money, time, excuses or the opinions of others weren’t an issue and you were simply yourself (single, free and easy) what would you be doing with your time. Journal this out, be honest! Once you have the answer ask yourself if you are doing those things with your time? If not then how can you take steps to do so? Without sounding cheesy and cliche are only here once, why wouldn’t you want to live authentically in your truth, doing things that light you up, make you glow and bring you joy?
If you answered the above question and journaled about it then make a plan, create actionable steps to get to where you want to be.
Like I’ve said before you may be happy in many areas of your life, but you aren’t glowing, you aren’t doing the things that bring you joy. You aren’t taking the time for YOU. If you have a family and children, this can be more difficult, but I guarantee if you start doing more things for you, your family may well start to notice positive changes in your attitude and behaviour. Those that truly love you will support you. If someone who loves you is making you feel bad for wanting to take that dance class or watercolour class then you need to question that relationship first.
It might be as simple as getting up 10mins earlier in the morning or going to bed 10mins later and using that 10mins to read, write, draw, learn. Start making the time for yourself, and aligning your behaviours and activities with your true authentic self. Your soul will thank you for it!