Do Your Actions Reflect The Person That You Believe You Are

We all have an internal belief of who we are. We think we are kind, strong, funny, smart, or any number of things. In reality, there may be a stark disconnect between what we think we are and what we actually are. We are naturally biased towards ourselves. We think we are kinder, smarter, more attractive, and funnier than we actually are (80% of people consider themselves better than average drivers). On the flip side when we are not in the best mood we think we are evil, stupid, worthless, and weak. Our self-perception feels truthful, but it is not.

Confidence is great, but confidence despite glaring evidence otherwise can be detrimental. It can stunt our growth, make us painful to be around, and cause us to be stuck in a cycle of rationalizations about why things keep going certain ways. A dog can call itself a cat as much as it wants, but as long as it keeps barking it will not be a cat.

It is in our best interest to be frank with ourselves. We should aim to discover the truth and take off our rosy glasses of self-delusion so we can improve ourselves.

How can we do this?

The answer is simple to understand but hard to execute. Look at yourself and think about the way you act. Look at your actions. Analyze the way you carry yourself. Try to understand who you really are. When you look at yourself objectively does it feel honest? Do your actions feel in alignment with your self-perception? Until you can answer that with an affirmative yes you have work to do.