Are there some pictures of yourself that you feel more connected to than others? I know it’s a weird question, but humor me and think about it for a second. May be it’s a certain expression or a particular pose in a picture that just – feels right. I came across such a picture of myself just now, and it got me thinking – why was I feeling uplifted looking at it? What I realized was that my expression, attitude, look – everything was just right in that picture. It was what I wanted it to be. Now that’s the key. Not what looks good, but what you want it to be. That’s when you feel that click.

It’s the same with certain situations and certain people – they make you feel good because they bring out the you that you want to be. All of us have this inner ideal within us – the image of the person we want to be, and often think we are. Different times and places bring out different flavors of that self, but once in a while everything is just right and you get the whole deal – you meet your true self. I met mine in that picture today.

And this is not a trivial thing. Because we can only be happy when we are our true selves. All other times we’re just inching towards that. Often you think about an incident and feel and inexplicable discomfort about how you acted or how things turned out. That’s because  you were far from your self – from how you want to see yourself. Identifying your true self is hard, but it’s only the first step. Because after that, you need to constantly put yourself in situations that bring you closest to that ideal. Whether it’s the kind of job and career you choose, whether it is your friends or even in your life partner – each choice must be driven by what brings you closest to your true self. It’s a constant struggle, but it’s worth it. If just looking at the right expression in a picture can bring so much joy, imagine a life where you constantly embody your true self!