The Danger of Embracing Your Real
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Sister, why do you feel like you can’t be yourself in front of anyone, anywhere? Why do you feel the need to always filter yourself? Why do you think you won't be seen as "good enough" if you just be you?
Society tells us our face isn't pretty enough so we need filters, and our body isn't small enough so we need fad diets, and our life isn't interesting enough so we need to prove that it is on our Instagram stories...Okay, I get why you think you just be yourself.
But in this episode, I chat with you about the only actual danger of embracing your real, and I promise, it's much better than you think. I know after listening, you'll feel more comfortable and confident to show up as your true, authentic self.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Hey, hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick.
You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, with me, Julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Real. Let's get it. Let's go.
Hello, and welcome back to another bonus episode of the Embrace Your Real podcast. I am so grateful that you are spending some time with me today, wherever you are tuning in all over the world. We are over 100 countries strong. I am so proud of this community. I'm so grateful for it. Thank you for being here.
I want to talk about why you're so afraid of embracing your real. Why do you feel like you can't be yourself in front of anyone, anywhere? Why do you feel the need to filter yourself? Why can't you just be you?
Before I dive into those questions, I love starting every episode honoring this community by reading the review of the day. Today's review said, "I didn't know what I was missing. It has taken me a while to write a review because it has been so hard for me to find the words how impactful this podcast has been on my life. I can remember hating my body all the way back to about third grade. Julie has helped me totally change my perspective toward my body and what it means to be healthy. I have learned to practice gratitude, appreciate my body for the way that it is now, while striving to reach my goals. I have learned so much from her and appreciate every episode. I highly recommend this podcast to every girl and woman out there."
Thank you so much for the review. If you haven't already rated and reviewed the podcast on Apple podcasts, it really does help the podcast spread the message of Embrace Your Real to women all over this world. All you got to do is pause this ,scroll all the way down, if you do listen on Apple podcast. Rate and review, it takes less than 60 seconds. If you do, please screenshot it, send it to me in DM, so I can personally thank you.
Okay, let's go back to the question of, why do you feel you need to filter yourself? Why can't you just embrace your real? Now, I think I know the answer as to why. I think if you're honest with yourself, you know the answer too. You're scared of what people will think of you. You don't want to be yourself because you're nervous people will judge you or they won't like you, or they'll think less of you. Am I right? Well, hold on a second. Why are you scared of what people think of you? But really, why does it matter? Why does it matter whether or not people like what you're wearing? Why does it matter whether or not someone likes your idea? Why does it matter whether or not someone chooses to judge you?
Now hear my thoughts on this honest, real raw, I'm going to dish it to you, who the freak cares? Who cares? If you think the people in your life won't like you for being your true, authentic self, you need to stop and think for a moment, are those the people that you actually want in your life? But really, if someone doesn't like who you are, when you are your truest, most authentic self, is that a person that you actually want or need in your life? To me, embracing your real is best way to attract the right people into your life and detox the people who shouldn't be there.
Now, I know when I am my realist self, without a filter, the people in my life love and like me for me, not a version of me that is filtered. I don't want people in my life where I can't be myself unapologetically. I don't want people in my life who can't handle all of me. I don't even want people in my life who don't appreciate the person I am.
Truly being my authentic self and embracing my real actually helps to filter those people out in my life. Instead of me filtering myself in my life, I'm filtering the people in my life. I get to take control of that.
But I haven't always lived this way. I can tell you though, since I have, I have been so much happier. It's so freeing to be able to show up as your true self and not feel the stress or anxiety of having to hide certain parts of me.
Now, if you have a problem with the way my body looks, that's okay. If you have a problem with my personality, that's okay, too. If you have a problem with my lifestyle choices, my outfit, my beliefs, or anything about me, that is for you to judge and I am more than okay with that.
You are doing me a favor by making it easier for me as to how and who I should choose to spend my time with and who should and and shouldn't be in my life.
To catch what I'm throwing at you, I only want to surround myself with people who love me for me, not try to pretend a different version of myself that's not even close to actually who I am. I'm not going to alter. I'm not going to change and I'm not going to filter for anyone. I challenge you to do the same.
The only real danger of being real, is losing something that is fake. That's not so scary now, is it? Remember, the next time you're hesitant about embracing your real, remember that if people judge you for it, those aren't the people's whose opinion you should care about anyways.
That is all that I have for today's episode. If you loved this message, I know you'll also love episode 12, Stop Caring About What Other People Think Of You, so be sure to tune in there. If you have one woman, or three women, or five women in your life right now who need this message, please send it to them. You can copy this link if you're listening on Spotify and Apple podcasts, if you just look at your screen on your phone, you'll see three dots in the top right of your screen. You'll be able to click that and you'll be able to copy the link. You can send it out in a text message, put it on your story. I love seeing where you're tuning in from, what your aha moments are, so be sure to screenshot this, posted it up on your story, tag me, Julia A. Ledbetter.
We also have an Instagram, in case you didn't know. It has been popping. You guys are loving the quotes on the Instagram page. If you aren't already, be sure to follow Embrace Your Real on Instagram, that is where you'll be able to get all of the quotes and the golden nuggets that you hear in the podcast in a quote format.
I hope that this message resonated with you. I look forward to chatting with you guys in the next episode. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do.
First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so, Julie A. Ledbetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple podcasts, to never miss an episode.
Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. Go out there and Embrace Your Real, because you're worth it.