You hear people say it all the time, “be true to yourself,” “to thine own self be true,” “find your authentic self.”
What does that mean exactly? What is your authentic self?
For me, part of it was having my outsides match my insides. That is, portraying the same person externally to the world as the man I am inside.
For example, showing the world one thing (having your crap together) on the outside while being completely scared sh#tless on the inside.
It also means finally living up to the ideal self that I believed (but sometimes doubted) I could be.