There's lots of focus on the annual "new year, new you" phenomenon in the advertising, media and self-help worlds. And while this time of year can be a great catalyst for positive change in your life, what if you made a commitment to live your life in 2010 focused on who you are, and not so much on what you do, what you've accomplished, what you look like, what you're striving for and more? One of best things you can do in this new year is to focus on who you really are, instead of who you think you're supposed to be.
Who would you be without your accomplishments (or failures), your degrees (or lack thereof), your bank accounts, your experiences, your title, your home, your status? As simple a concept as this is to think about and discuss, at least on the surface, it's actually quite difficult for many people—myself included—to genuinely separate who they are from what they do (or have done or not done). This past year has shown, in some cases quite painfully, how quickly the external circumstances of your life can change and things can be taken away.

The deeper question to ponder here is really one of the big philosophical questions of life, "What makes you a valuable person?" While this is something everyone has thought about to some degree, most people don't really engage in this inquiry on a regular basis. And, when you do, you often think that if you just got more done, lost some weight, made more money, took a vacation, accomplished a goal, had more meaningful work, made it to retirement or whatever, then you'd be happier or feel more valuable. Sadly, this is not usually the case and is why most of your New Year's resolutions don't really last.

What if, in addition to having resolutions, you could expand your capacity for appreciating yourself for who you really are in a genuine way, having nothing to do with your external self? What if just being yourself, the way you are right now, is good enough?

Being yourself takes courage, commitment and faith. It's a process of letting go of many false beliefs you've picked up from the collective consciousness: that you have to look good, be smart, know the right people, say the right things, have the proper experience, in order to be happy and successful in life. Being yourself can be scary and counterintuitive, difficult and even off-putting and, at times, lonely. However, being your authentic self is liberating, exciting and fulfilling. When you have the courage to just be who you are, without apology or pretense, so much of the suffering, stress and worry in life simply disappears.

3 ways to truly be yourself

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