Recently, a buddy send an email that had this line in it.
At the same time, it’s time I start to own who I am instead of being afraid of being my true self.
That line resonated with me.
I started thinking, who is my true self? Is it the one I show at work to co-workers or bosses? Or the one I show my husband or kids? Or the one I write about? Or the one my friends see?
If I do not show all that I am, does my true self change? Or do I lie to the world?
Or is this more like the old parable with the blind men and the elephant? The elephant is still the elephant, but the the limited lens/senses with which we perceive the world only allow us to see a part of the elephant. Those lens are our own beliefs.
So not only do I only show part of myself, but the person who is looking on will only see what they want to see based on their beliefs.
Since I have my own biases, does that imply I do not really know my own true self?
Am I one of the blind men with a lifetime trying to know my own elephant – my true self?