To be yourself, stop trying to be yourself

Why is it so hard to just “be yourself”?

It’s because when you try to be yourself, you’re trying to become an idea of yourself. Trying to become whatever current identity you believe yourself to be.

That might be a good friend, a kind partner, a confident lover, a caring mother, or it might be a competitive, resilient or tough employee.

There’s an inauthenticity in trying to be any of these because they’re all ideas. Good, kind, confident are nowhere to be found in reality, they can only be found in judgements, thoughts. These judgements are as arbitrary and changing as the weather, different from person to person and moment to moment.

Trying to be any of these abstract concepts only results in frustration.

Instead, recognise what you already are without trying. What’s here that is unmoving? What part of your experience can’t change, and can’t be judged?

To be yourself is to completely let go of all the ideas of who you are or who you should be.

Being yourself is more like observing than doing.

Who you are is already right here. Stop trying to be anything. Being yourself is the easiest thing in the world when you deeply recognise this.