I took one of those silly, time waster quizzes on Facebook. You know the ones that you use to stall working, interacting with other people or face life? This quiz asked who were the five celebrities you a have a crush on. After posting mine, I found myself fascinated to see five of the guys I have off and on adored. That got me thinking, what other “loves” have I not collected into one place that reflected who I really am? I realized that if I started grouping and then revealing my true loves it would surprise many people who think they know me.

But then, does anybody really know the real you? You know, the true you? If you’re reading this post, I doubt it. The real you is hidden beneath many layers of your habits, weight gain, and addictions, It was probably suppressed by the opinions of parents, friends, spouses, co-workers, your children, religions and society at large.  Want to know something funny? You really can’t bury who you really are without repercussions. They will come out sooner or later.

There are two books I highly recommend for confronting and embracing the true you. Yes, I own them and yes, I’m doing the work in releasing the true me.

One is Truth Heals by Deborah King. Deborah points out that our secrets suppress our inner truth and that we need to speak our truth.

Another great book is Debbie Ford’s “Why Good People Do Bad Things.” This book is really great at explaining why bottling up our feelings about ourselves can set off negative actions towards others and ourselves.

What are you hiding? Not just from others but from yourself? I’m not just talking about what you consider bad but also the good. I recommend journaling to learn more about your truth within. Write down all your secret passions, loves, what you want to do in life, and find out who your really want to be. Your true self.

Someone sent me a link to this video. Boy, I'm glad I watched it. Warning: It's about 16 minutes long but worth the time. It makes you think about the importance of being kind and generous to others. It also shows how that kindness can come back to you in an unexpected way. Enjoy.