Confidence in yourself and your abilities is key to your success. Learning to be 100% yourself breeds confidence. It takes courage to be 100% yourself and risk. But it is worth it. Be true to yourself and youll never have to pretend or hide again. Dan Baker, Author of What Happy People Know

Recently I asked a client, What percentage of the time are you being 100% yourself? It is a good question to ask from time to time. How many of us feel that somehow being 100% of who we really are is not ok, or not good enough? If you said yes, youre not alone. I find that many times when a client is experiencing discomfort in a job or conflict in a relationship; it has something to do with them hiding a part of themselves. Maybe they are hiding their true feelings about someone. Or maybe they are embarrassed to admit that they are being asked to do something for which they dont have the skill or knowledge.

What could happen if we simply decided that who we are is enough? That our feelings are valid? That we can ask for help?

When you open up and give voice to what is true for you, you feel better. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to hide who you really are and it also takes a tremendous toll on your relationships. When you hide a part of yourself, its like you deny that part or betray yourself. Do that long enough and you no longer trust yourself. When you no longer trust you, it becomes hard to trust others. Thats when the real damage can happen.