How do we really know when we are being ourselves and what does this look like for us?
Being yourself completely is entirely subjective and only you will really know, although when you truly are, others will pick up on it too. However the most important pointer I can give on this is how different you will feel when completely being yourself vs not doing so. When you are being yourself completely in every way, it is completely freeing and without limits, you do not think of what others judgements about you may be, you express yourself wholly and completely and in doing so free yourself and become completely present.
Although initially others close to you may object to you doing so, you are actually serving both them and you in your example of living without limits and truly expressing who you are. This can be a journey in itself and a daily practice of reminding yourself that you are important and worthy enough to completely be yourself and contribute all you have to give to the world, but it is worth every effort in doing so.
Without you being completely who you are in every way, everyone you know and will know in the future misses out on all of who you are and all that you have to contribute, which as the unique individual that you are, is so much. To stay confined for fear of judgements or doubts that you are not enough, is to waste your life and to not experience the flow of being true to you and everyone around you.
No amount of fear or doubt is worth this limitation in your life and the right people will always be there when you are completely you, they will not only embrace you as you are but be encouraged to do the same too. Never allow others judgements to bring you down, because unknowingly in doing this the cycle continues.
Be bold and be you, do what you love and express who you are completely , I promise you in doing so it will be worth all the effort in the world. Nothing or no-one is worth limiting yourself for, as long as you are doing so from a place of love and presence you will always be doing your best, and love, without exception always includes yourself. Find the courage no matter what and you'll always find a way to follow the path that is yours and then many more benefits will open up before you.
Some simple ways of knowing and allowing yourself to just be who you are, are to;
Follow your passions,
Feel the fear and do it anyway
And to Follow your intuition.
If we are deeply drawn to do something then it is likely the right thing for us and our life path. To not to do so because of some mere fear is to deny yourself so much pleasure and also the inspiration you will naturally give out as you are being true to you.
Dare yourself this week to do that thing you've always wanted to do, life is too short not to.
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you in to something else is the greatest accomplishment." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson