Genuinely You

Even though we enjoy thinking of ourselves at times as stark individualists, we are actually social beings. We desire to belong. We would like to know that we fit somewhere within the norm. You do not have to take my word for this. You will know this by listening to yourself.

Have you ever noticed that when we are sick, we worry? It’s true, it happens. Sometimes we can feel a little better just by scheduling an appointment with the doctor. If the symptoms are strange to us or interrupt our lives and we don’t know why, we worry a little more. And we will continue to manifest concerns until the doctor identifies the problem and gives a name of the disease or affliction.

This happens because when we feel ill, we perceive ourselves as having something that possibly no one else has, and something that cannot be cured. When we make the appointment to see the doctor, we can relax a little bit because we feel that help is on the way. And when we are examined by the doctor and get the diagnosis, we then know that we are not alone, that our malady does happen within the world, and there are things we can do to make it better.

Once diagnosed, we take our pills or medicines and follow the required routines to get better. A large part of healing is the knowledge that we are not alone, we are part of a group who either has or has had the same afflictions.

Think of all the times we have the same experiences based on our thoughts and concerns. We quite often are much more afraid because of how we may be thought of based on how we act or think. We start to convince ourselves we are the only one who feels this way or does something that way. We also convince ourselves that if anyone else found out about it, we would be ostracized from the rest of society. That’s not necessarily true.

Just like taking care of the body helps us to understand that we are normal, and we learn how to live better with our bodies. We do the same by taking care of our minds and understanding that we are normal mentally as well as physically. If you go to see a coach or a counselor, it does not mean you are sick, or abnormal, or have a mental defect that needs you to be ostracized from society. Just the opposite is true. It says that you are interested in learning how to work better with you. You want to understand how you think of things. And why you may do things a different way from your friends. When you talk to someone, you are taking positive steps, and because of those positive steps, you will find it easier to be a genuine you.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof