Hello there and welcome.
This is Vassia and I'm happy you pressed play today.
You've just given yourself a few minutes to slow down and listen inward.
Today we'll walk together on the path back to your true self,
The one that's been there all along.
Now take a deep breath.
Let your shoulders drop,
Your jaws soften.
And let's start this journey together.
A journey not to create a new you but to remember who you have always been.
Because somewhere along the way many of us forgot.
When we are trapped in perfectionism we start building versions of ourselves that we think will be loved,
Accepted and respected by others.
We learn to wear masks.
The hard worker,
The helpful one,
The achiever,
The one who never says no.
Rings a bell?
Sometimes it's not even about others anymore.
We have internalized these standards so deeply from school,
Parents,
Culture,
Media that we no longer compare ourselves to other people but to the ideal versions of who we think we should be.
But that's not our true self.
That's a construction.
A well designed,
Carefully maintained image we have built,
Believing that if we ever become that,
We will finally be happy and safe and enough.
We even start identifying with these masks.
We say things like I love being busy.
I am just someone who gives 110%.
I am the one everyone can rely on.
And because we have been praised for these traits over and over,
We start believing that they are us.
But deep inside there's a quiet whisper that says this isn't who I really am.
That whisper often grows louder when life stops us in our tracks.
When that would be happening?
It could be a burnout,
A divorce,
A painful loss,
A big change.
Moments like these,
Even though they hurt,
Are often invitations.
Invitations to reinvent,
To look inside,
Not outside,
To ask who am I really?
I remember a client who used to believe he was born to achieve,
Born to be the best.
He worked endlessly,
Convinced that success and recognition would make him happy.
But then burnout arrived,
His wake up call.
Through his exhaustion,
He realized this thing.
My true self actually doesn't want to conquer the world.
My true self just wants quiet days with a book.
Another client discovered that her happiness wasn't in racing through her day,
But in sipping her coffee slowly,
Journaling,
And starting her morning with peace,
Not with stress.
But let me be real with you.
This process,
This homecoming,
Is not glamorous,
Is not quick.
It takes time,
Patience,
Effort,
And often grief.
Yes,
Grief,
Because we are saying goodbye to an identity we invested so much in.
All the dreams,
The energy,
The effort,
The passion,
The love,
All these tied to who we thought we were.
And yes,
There will be resistance,
There will be sadness,
There will be confusion,
Absolutely.
But little by little,
Layer by layer,
We begin to remember.
We rediscover what feels natural,
What feels light,
What brings peace,
Not pressure.
A question for you.
What is the self you have to say goodbye to?
Is it the always busy,
Even in the weekends self?
What are the routines you have to stop?
Is it the checking your emails at night routine?
What are the expectations you have to leave behind?
Is it the expectation that everyone has to like you and agree with you?
Take a deep breath and allow these questions to land.
You don't have to have the answers now,
But just simply acknowledge what is asking to be released.
Now,
Let's go to the practice.
From perfection to true self.
I have some good news for you.
There's no protocol for finding your true self.
There's no checklist,
There's no formula.
But there is a direction,
And that direction is called curiosity.
Perfectionism says,
If I try something new,
I must succeed.
It must be the one.
Your true self says,
Hmm,
I'm gonna try just to see how it feels.
So your practice from now onward is every day,
Try one new thing,
Small or big,
Doesn't matter.
One thing that you have never tried before.
Take a new path home.
Start your morning differently.
Finish your day differently.
Sign up to a club that you have never signed up before.
Say no to something that drains you.
Say yes to something that lights you up.
But be mindful of this.
There are no expectations,
There's no criticism,
And there's no failure.
All this belongs to perfectionism.
Because you know what?
Staying still and waiting for the perfect answer about who you are,
And what your next steps should be,
That will never happen.
That will happen only with you experimenting,
Daring,
And exploring.
That's how we find the new you,
The real you.
Would you like a second practice?
Well,
Here it is.
Make a list of all the things that make you happy.
Write down moments,
People,
Activities,
Places,
Pets,
That make your heart expand,
No matter how small they seem.
Remember,
Finding your true self is not limited to discovering a new career or purpose,
It's much bigger than that.
It's about uncovering your true values,
What genuinely makes you feel alive,
And learning to show up as your authentic self,
Freely,
Unapologetically,
And wholeheartedly.
Remember,
Your true self has never left.
It's been waiting for you,
Patiently and quietly,
Beneath the noise of the shoulds and musts.
You don't need to create yourself,
You just need to welcome yourself back.
So today,
Be curious,
Be brave,
And take one small step closer to remembering who you truly are.
You're not lost,
You're just remembering.
