I believe that the biggest contributions we can make to the world come from being ourselves.

There has never been anyone like you in the history of recorded time, and there will never be anyone exactly like you again. Our uniqueness is what allows us to make an impact and leave our footprint on this world. By being yourself and living life moment-to-moment in your fullest self-expression, you can help give others the power to do the same.

My yoga teacher, Baron Baptiste, often reminded us during our teacher training that “the greatest source of natural power we have available to us is ‘being ourselves.’” I think we all long to be able to live our own truth. Many times, though, we are petrified of being judged and not accepted by others.

To combat this we have become adept at wearing masks and guises to hide who we truly are. So many of us have lived our lives holding back from pursuing what really interests us, or pretending to be a certain way so that people will like and accept us. We lose all power when we live life suppressing who we actually are.

For a long time, I, too, hid who I was because I was so afraid of being judged and disliked. I hid that I loved yoga, that I love Tony Robbins, and that I have dreams and aspirations of becoming an inspirational public speaker like Wayne Dyer. I was afraid to be seen as “weird” and stand out from the crowd, however, I knew deep down inside that living in an inauthentic way was doing me more harm than good.

It wasn't until I started being myself that I began to experience true and deep joy. It wasn't until I was authentic with myself that I was able to really inspire, touch, and empower others. When I started being myself, my whole entire world opened up naturally and organically right before my very eyes. I began to connect with others in a whole new way. I let others see me for the first time for who I really was instead of hiding and pretending to be who I was “supposed” to be. As I started to live authentically, I naturally attracted the people and opportunities which were right for me. Slowly the “wrong” people, behaviors, and situations I used to find myself in began to fall away.

A great poet once said, “Every time you tell your truth, it clears the field for others to share their truth.” If you really want to impact the world, start with yourself. Start to be a beacon of hope and light for others who may be suffering by suppressing their true selves. Even though it might be terrifying, it is essential for all of us to live for our truths instead of fear. It is the biggest gift we can give others.

So remember to be YOU, always; it's the greatest contribution you will ever make to the world. Stop trying to imitate others. You’ll never be able to do something just like someone else does or be exactly like someone else is, even if they are your role model, teacher, boss, friend, or parent!

Once this truth dawned on me I realized that while it is important to study, learn from, and emulate others who we aspire to be like, we will always fall short if we try to do things exactly like them. Certainly, there is a purpose and power in modeling after others and learning from their examples and teachings. But still, let what you ultimately bring into this world be your own creation with your own personal spin on it. Your life, happiness, and mental health depends on it!

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