Be Yourself

Be who you know you are, not who they say you are.

Lots of my younger clients, most in their early 20s, are immediately flummoxed when I tell them this. Because they don’t know who they are yet. They’re finally out in the big world, finally on their own, but they’ve spent their entire lives up to this point being told what to do, what to believe and how to behave. They’ve never had to figure those things out for themselves.

Those kids are trying to run forward into life but they keep looking back to check to make sure they’re doing OK. To see if they’re doing it “right.” To keep their eyes on the shore of approval.

Set sail, my friends. You’re never the same person when you journey and then return home. Go on the journey, and stop checking the horizon.

And for the rest of us setting sail on yet another adventure in our lives -- don’t worry about who you were yesterday. Stop trying to fix that person in the past. Your life can’t set sail when you’re dragging an anchor around. Cut yourself free and enjoy the ride.

I look forward to hearing your stories of immense personal struggle, and will continue to inspire you .