Be YOU

It is the best feeling when you experience moments that align with all of your being. It is in those moments you are authentically you. When you recognize what your soul needs and you seek to nourish it, you feel whole. This is a feeling I'm sure many of us wish we could experience 100 percent of the time in our day-to-day lives, but sometimes there is a disconnect between what is going on in the outside world and who we are inside.

Sometimes rather than nourishing our souls, thoughts we have or things we do drain us or make us feel inauthentic. One of the most draining things is to live in a way you think others want you live, rather than in a way that is true to who you are. Sometimes we let outside influences or our insecurities take over, rather than just letting our souls guide us.

There have been moments where I lived or acted in a way I thought others wanted me to live or act. In these instances it watered down who I was and stifled my passion. But, over the last few years I made the decision to live in a way that felt authentic and nourishing.

Something that really helped me shift into this way of living was discovering I was an introvert, specifically an INFJ. The INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging and is one of the 16 Myers-Briggs Type Indicators® (MBTI). "The purpose of the MBTI personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by psychiatrist Carl Jung understandable and useful in people's lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgement (Source: Myers & Briggs Foundation)." You can take a test and find out your type here.

Known as "Protectors" or "Counselors", INFJ's are one of the most rare types and make up one to two percent of the population. They are sometimes referred to as "outgoing introverts", and are often mistaken for extroverts because of their deep interest in other people -- it's just that they usually prefer deep, one-on-one discussion or small group gatherings, followed by ample time alone to recharge. They are sensitive, complex and may grow up feeling a bit misunderstood. They are often known to be "old souls." Some of the images below capture the INFJ quite well ;)

Ever since I discovered my type, it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. It's as if I finally got permission to be exactly who I am. For a long time, I thought something was wrong or missing, but now I understand I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. When you are authentic and true to who you are, it's a freeing feeling.

Take a moment to reflect on who is really inside you. Do you feel as though you are being true to who you are, or are you living or acting a certain way because you think it's what people expect of you?