Chicken Soup for the Soul-Be yourself

1. Don’t worry about your self-image.

We all have an image of ourselves, how we think we appear to others. It’s usually wrong because we just don’t know what other people think about us, and so it’s not worth worrying about.

2. Give up trying to find yourself.

A lot of people say, “I need time to find myself, to work out who I am.” This is one way to give yourself a neurosis because there’s nothing to find. You have your capabilities; you may be a cook or a chemist or a charity worker and nothing can take that away.

3. Celebrate your uniqueness.

Every human being is different, unique. Nobody has quite the same take on things as you do. This is a marvellous feeling to enjoy. At the same time we have to understand that others have a different take too. It means we’re not necessarily right, and it makes us more tolerant.

4. Live now!

Don’t put it off until tomorrow. We don’t know what tomorrow will be like. The past is a memory – so there’s no point in living there. The future is a hope and a dream which is pleasant to contemplate now is all we have.

5. Be aware of this moment in your life.

What’s happening? What are you doing? Are you enjoying? It doesn’t have to be a big moment like a graduation ceremony or winning a lottery prize. Life is mostly small moments like washing the dishes or riding the subway, or having coffee with a friend. Life is too precious to be wasted drifting along half-awake.