{"id":13762,"date":"2013-04-28T20:36:15","date_gmt":"2013-04-29T04:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=13762"},"modified":"2013-04-28T20:36:15","modified_gmt":"2013-04-29T04:36:15","slug":"3-ways-being-yourself-leads-to-new-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/3-ways-being-yourself-leads-to-new-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways Being Yourself Leads To New Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When we don\u2019t speak up, we\u2019re guilty.<\/p>\n

When we pretend to know something we don\u2019t, we\u2019re guilty.<\/p>\n

When we\u2019re scared to be comfortable in our own skin, we\u2019re guilty.<\/p>\n

So many of us walk around violating the one thing we\u2019re born with: being ourselves.<\/b><\/p>\n

Last week, I was having a conversation with a dear friend who is looking for a job. I asked her what she wants to do, and her reply confused me. She went on and on about her schooling, her curriculum, her past experiences, and more \u2014 but, in my experience, what you\u2019ve done in the past isn\u2019t always relevant.<\/p>\n

People don’t care what you studied. They care what you\u2019re about.<\/b><\/p>\n

Over the past few years of trying to live the life of a freelancer and entrepreneur, I\u2019ve realized one crucial thing: when I am completely myself, I flourish at unexpected skills and tasks. When I try to hide that and be someone else, everything seems to fall apart. Have you ever felt that in your own life?<\/p>\n

The advice to be yourself<\/i> is the most comforting<\/i> advice I\u2019ve ever come across. <\/b>Here\u2019s why I think it works:<\/p>\n

1. Rely on Your Best Supporters<\/b><\/p>\n

Remember how carefree and invincible you felt jumping on a trampoline as a child? I do. I want to recreate that every single day. Luckily, the people that surround me help me do that.<\/p>\n

Certain people in my life support me no matter what. I like to think of these people as my own personal trampoline, allowing me to jump higher and bounce back from my falls. Best of all? These people know me through and through \u2014 the real me, not the \u201ctrying to look better\/smarter\/funnier\u201d me.<\/p>\n

Like Dr. Bren\u00e9 Brown says in her book Daring Greatly<\/i>:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe irony is that when we\u2019re standing across from someone who is hidden or shielded by masks and armor, we feel frustrated and disconnected. That\u2019s the paradox here: Vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me, but the first thing I look for in you.\u201d<\/p>\n

By being ourselves, we open up to the true support, empathy and love of the people who most want to help us succeed.<\/p>\n

2. Activate Your True Gifts<\/b><\/p>\n

Have you ever had trouble coming up with your a list of your strengths? I have, until someone shared a common trick with me: ask your parents and close friends.<\/p>\n

Our loves ones have known our true selves from the time we were born. They are aware of sides of us that we sometimes forget. We might think we\u2019re good at X, Y or Z, until someone close to us names a few other things we are awesome at, yet have taken for granted.<\/p>\n

By becoming aware of our true gifts, we can activate, nurture, and build off them for future opportunities.<\/b><\/p>\n

This is only possible when we show our true selves.<\/p>\n

Are there certain gifts you could be forgetting? Could you ask the people closest to you what they think you\u2019re great at? You may be surprised what the come back with.<\/p>\n

3. Take Smarter Risks<\/b><\/p>\n

Do you know what happens when you have a solid trampoline to jump on? You jump higher, you try new tricks, and you go for the moon.<\/p>\n

Pair that up with a new found confidence in your true gifts, and the sky is the limit.<\/p>\n

Once you open yourself up to being your true self and you activate your true gifts (including those you had forgotten), you\u2019ll be standing on stronger ground to take risks.<\/p>\n

What do I mean by taking risks? Here are some examples:<\/p>\n