Be Your Best Self, Even on the Tough Days

She was the first woman from Alabama to rise to international fame. She didn’t do that by being the quintessential Southern Belle, she tapped into her exuberant energy and began entertaining family and friends by dancing on the dining room table at age ten. Shipped off to a convent to “reform her” ways, she ran away to New York City and won a contest for her first shot in motion pictures. She soon found a love for the theater and eventually headlined over twenty-four stage productions in London. Tallulah Bankhead figured out that being herself was the only way she would be happy, and as these words remind us some days even she had trouble doing that!

Each and every one of us is an individual. Unique and a compilation of different talents, skills, hopes and dreams, mixed with a work ethic and hopefully a lot of self awareness. Some of these things we refine as we grow up and others simply grow stronger. Some of our traits we grow out of and eventually add better, more suited elements to round out our lives. The people we are today are not the same people we were three, five or even ten years ago let alone ten days ago.

We are always changing, always growing, always moving one direction or another. Some days it can be hard to live in our own skin. We are reminded of our shortcomings and failures while battling the desire to become a better version of ourselves. Being human means getting up each day to face the best and worst of ourselves and our decisions. Eventually we all have a golden moment of triumph and a blaring moment of failure. It is the process of getting back up, resetting our sites and moving forward that makes us a better person tomorrow.

On those days when you don’t feel like you fit in, that the mold set for your life feels a bit scratchy and cumbersome, take a deep breath and remember that life can change in an instant. Being your true self is the best course, no matter what anyone else says or does or “expects” you to be. To live your best life be yourself first and the rest will figure itself out.