Live a life of meaning and purpose

Image via Stocksy

What would it mean to live a life true to yourself?

Do you feel that your life allows you to be true to who you really are—not who you think you're supposed to be?

Are you living in alignment with your values? Are you being true to yourself in your work and your relationships?

What does ‘being true to yourself’ mean for you?

Perhaps it means being more present, open, curious, aware, creative, and compassionate.

Perhaps it means standing up for what you believe in, even when everyone around you believes otherwise.

Perhaps it means having the courage to have a difficult conversation, ask for what you need, set more boundaries, say no to the things that make your heart sink, and yes to the things that make your heart sing.

One of the challenges of a busy, demanding & distracted life is that we often lose sight of what it means to live a life that's true to who we are. We get caught up in self-judgement, become critical of others and defensive when challenged, and feel dissatisfied and disconnected, but we can't put our finger on why exactly. We might have the job we've always thought we wanted, the nice house to live in, and all the comforts of modern life, yet still, we feel something is missing.

If we don't make space in our lives to contemplate or reflect on what's important to us, it's very easy to drift off course, and this is how we start to lose our way.

Committing to a daily practice of contemplation has given me the greatest insight into my habitual ways of thinking and helped me develop more self-compassion, kindness, and understanding of all my limitations and my gifts.