Be yourself; it speaks on its own. It’s about doing what makes you truly happy, instead of following the crowd.

By being a follower you become no different than everyone else by shaping your life through trends, and conforming to social norms. Being a follower is living in the comfortability of fitting in by stripping away individuality.

There is nothing more admirable to me, than when someone is unapologetically their authentic selves. And I believe it is the ultimate form of success. You are completely comfortable in your own skin, being who you were created to be. You took a different path from what the media, society or trends have told you. You choose to live the life you truly want.

“Finding your passion isn’t just about careers and money. It’s about finding your authentic self. The one you’ve buried beneath other people’s needs,” said Kristin Hannah in Distant Shores.

Being authentic is a continuous path of living a life congruent with your values where you know who you are. You are not who the world or other have told you to be, but define yourself on your own terms.

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

It is about a life that not only looks good from the outside but feels great on the inside. You aren’t afraid to be different or weird because you are happy with yourself. Being authentic you don’t have to seek approval from anyone.

"The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be," said Oprah Winfrey.

Embrace your authentic self. As my cousin always tells me, “Let your freak flag fly.”