“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

In our early years, our awareness of self wasn’t well developed. It seemed that obeying our parents and pleasing them with our performance was what life was about. As we grew, we began to see that our opinions didn’t always match our parent’s standards. It’s at this point that some determine to go their own way and trust themselves, while others choose to remain on the path determined by their parents.

In his Handbook to Higher Consciousness, Ken Keyes said “Life is just a game we play and there is no special way.” He recommends breaking the patterns in your life so that you can create your own patterns. Does that excite you, or does it frighten you?

Sooner or later, you’ll have to figure out what truly makes you feel alive. I’ve found out that it means listening to me and following my own path. Here are some ideas to help you carve your own path.

Discover Your Individuality. Most of our parents sought to make their children fit in, not embarrass them, and succeed according to their concepts of success. We were not encouraged to unfold our individuality or even to know we came with it. I know one family where this is done, and the results don’t show any level of conformity at all. Those parents don’t care about the opinions of others. They are determined to allow their children to find their own way while being helped by loving acceptance. It’s truly a very highly-unfolded idea. You can do this for yourself.

Look at your life and see whose dreams you’re living. If they aren’t yours, I strongly recommend a shift in perspective. It’s time – as they say – to make a new plan, Stan. This will require courage, but I know it’s inside you because it was inside me.

Release What Doesn’t Please You.Enjoyment is part of the way your life experience is supposed to go. If there isn’t enjoyment in what you’re doing, let it go. This will create a vacuum in your life, and something new can now take its place. You can plan what that new thing is. You can desire it. You can become a new someone of your own design. As the song says in Frozen: “Let it go! Let it go!”

Can You Name Your Passion? While some folks are living the life their parent’s determined for them, they aren’t schooled in discovering what their passion is. Here’s how to tell something is your passion:

• When you do IT, you lose track of time passing
• It’s easy for you to do, but other’s say it’s hard for them
• It makes you feel good
• You can work long hours because it doesn’t feel like work
• You find doing it very satisfying

Do you know what it is? You must if you want to live the fullest life your soul can muster, that your heart can deliver.

Love Working on Your Passion. I mentioned working long hours. When you love what you do, work becomes play, so you won’t view it as work. It’ll seem like play!

Don’t Hold Back. If something needs saying, say it. Say it for you, not for others. Be reasonable in what you say and respect society’s social mores. You have the courage inside you to speak up. (After the first few spooky times while you’re trying it on for size, it gets easier. Promise.

Let Them Be Them, and You Be You. If you were perfection itself sitting on a cloud, there would always be someone who will disagree with you. You can see that on Facebook, if you haven’t experienced it yourself. You could choose to worry about it, or you could just shrug and let them be them. The opinions of other people about you have nothing to do with you. These opinions only speak to who they are. In the meantime, get busy with being who you are, all that juicy individuality bundled up as you. And rejoice about that!

Author's Bio: 

Soufra Daimeh and Maria Khalifé are synonymous in the Middle East with flavor, inventiveness, and fun. Her magazine Soufra Daimeh and her cookbooks continuously inspire women.

Going beyond her television and radio career, she expanded her life purpose to include helping others to live a masterful, successful life led by her own example and accomplishments. In 2008, she created The Change Coaching Institute (CCI). At CCI, those who wish to accelerate their growth on The Path, or to foster a new career for themselves by becoming a Change Coach, learn universal, spiritual principles to reach maximum potential through the discovery of a true dynamic and authentic self. http://www.changecoachinginstitute.com