Just be yourself

How many times have you been told or have told someone – “don’t worry, just be yourself”. It’s a simple basic and a powerful message. Yet were guilty of spending much of our time trying to be someone else- a person we think others expect us to be – in our work, relationships and in virtually every part of our daily life. We try being a person that we are not. This usually happens when we are with friends or when we are working in a team.

The most productive business team is one that comprises a ‘mosaic’ of unique, discrete individuals, with a team leader who’s skilled in maximizing the individuality of each member for the benefit of the team’s goals. These team members are encouraged to be themselves and to apply their natural skills, talents, capabilities and creativity to the needs of the team. This forms the basis of potentially highly powerful and successful workforce.

The excellent manager also encourages his/her people to create experiences away from work where they can just be themselves. When you get so absorbed in an enjoyable interest that you forget time and place, the real ‘you’ comes alive. You express all your natural talents and abilities in ways that are totally within your control and solely for your personal satisfaction. It’s the most natural form of stress management. More importantly; such experiences help in positively lifting self-esteem, self-belief and sense of self worth. This has a ripple effect that spills over into every part of our daily lives, including work. Such experiences are essential to personal health and well-being.

To conclude, you can’t be yourself all the time, but you’ll burn out if you don’t be yourself at least some of the times.