Do you ever feel pressure to be someone you aren’t? Have you ever felt that if you showed the world the true you, you wouldn’t be truly accepted?

We are all under a tremendous amount of pressure each and every day – pressure to look the right way, do our job the right way, perform to a certain standard, have everything under control.

Yet, whose standards are these? Who decided that this was how life was supposed to be? Who made the rules up in the first place and said that we were supposed to work a certain number of hours a day and do our work in a certain way and multitask and cram everything in and somehow be a good partner, parent, friend, family member, and have time for yourself, too?

I have certainly felt this pressure. Like you, I feel it on a daily basis and try to find ways to sift through it all and always get back to what sits right with me.

I was on a call this morning with a publicity expert who works to pitch ideas to the media. She is amazing and knows what the media is looking for. Dan and I have something exciting coming up and want it to be received well by the media, so we were thinking of the best way to pitch it to them. And while she was telling us what they were looking for and what hooks they would be respond to, I kept feeling like this wasn’t sitting right with me. I knew in my heart (and still do) that there are people out there (media outlets included) who aren’t looking for tabloid-driven headlines and scandalous stories. I knew that if I was going to put myself out there in media land, then I had to do it by being the only person I could truly be: me. And if that meant that I wouldn’t land as many opportunities, that would have to be okay. (Although I don’t think that will be the case – I think that the media is ready for an alternative to sensationalism. I think that the public is starving for this deeper connection and will feel refreshed to have news items that reflect this way of thinking – not just from me, but from my fellow positivity and self-growth friends.)

So while I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at first during this phone call, I have since had time to process it all and realize that truly good things will continue to happen if I continue to stick with who I am – when I stand tall in my own shoes and am not willing to bend on certain things – such as my core identity, my essence, or my soul’s message.

And after realizing this, Dan and I came up with a pitch that fit our message, which we’re hoping is exactly what the media is searching for.

An image that helps me feel more grounded when I feel pushed and pulled is to imagine that I am a tree – rooted deeply into the earth.

If you would like to try this visualization with me, simply close your eyes and picture yourself as a large, wise, beautiful tree. Your roots are your soul, and these roots run all the way to the center of the earth. You know what your beliefs are – you know what feels right and what just doesn’t sit well with you. When you are in this moment of feeling pressure to be someone that you aren’t – take a deep breath and imagine that this pressure is simply the wind blowing by. You will still be standing after it’s gone. You will still be you. And this “you-ness” is what makes you so beautiful. It’s what causes your leaves to grow and your flowers to bloom. There can only be one you. And it’s your job to bring that person – that beauty – into the world – strong and centered and filled with self love.

So let’s all let the pressure just blow on by and focus on what’s truly important – showing the world who we really are and embracing our uniqueness!