Everyone has probably heard of that quote ‘Be yourself as everyone is taken’ that is often attributed to Oscar Wilde. Years ago, I think I wrote about what it means to be myself and finding one’s authentic voice and self. It is a subject I think  about daily.

I have often been told to just be myself, but then I am encouraged to be softer, think less, eat less, worry less, relax more, exercise more, be more confident, less timid, less cautious, more adventurous, less selfish, ask less questions and the list goes on. I find this confusing if I am to be myself why must I change? The other problem is who am I, which self should I be: the introvert, the extrovert, the cautious, the risk-taker, the over thinker, the fast talker, the quiet one, the indecisive one, the spontaneous one, the carefree one, the worried one, the selfish one, the altruistic one, and much more.

These two words ‘be yourself’ seem so easy for many people but not for me as it fills me with many questions. I will limit myself to two questions:

Can you be yourself without changing?

Is it possible to change/improve a part of yourself and still be yourself?

A friend explained it is a bit like a tree that has a sturdy trunk at its base, and all these branches develop and grow from it, but the original trunk is always still there. Our different traits or selves are like those  branches, twisting in different ways, while the trunk is our core from which everything else has grown.

What do you think of the tree analogy and my 2 questions and thoughts? I feel every time I take on another’s advice I change and now I am not sure who is the real me!

I welcome Moodscopers to share their thoughts with me or I am someone who ruminates too much on this topic.

Leah 

A Moodscope member