More often than not, they’re thinking the best of you. Don’t let your projections hold you back from being yourself. Don’t let fears of unreal things keep you small. The best advice I ever got was, “Just be yourself.” And it’s taken me years to figure out what that means.
From childhood, we take on roles and learn to conform because it’s imperative that we do so to not only receive love, but to survive. And through this process, we abandon our own true nature. If it doesn’t prove safe to express how we really feel, we stuff down our emotions. Then, if we do this long enough, we truly do begin to forget what we started out loving.
However, once you finally do reconnect with your authentic nature, it’s easy to be fearful at first because you are vulnerable and know that “acting this way” could get you rejected. After all, it was this behavior that got you shunned in the first place. But we must know that when we shine our lights, we give permission for others to do the same. And people are inspired by bravery and authenticity. They will not think the worst of you, even if others from your past did. We have to get over what happened “then.” Because, however scary it may seem, being yourself is actually the best thing you can be.