This chapter—Just be yourself—is so important, especially in today’s world. We’re all different. We’ve all got our own skills, struggles, strengths, and emotional baggage. We are not like those perfect eggs in the supermarket. Some of us are like the ones straight from the chicken pen— a bit dirty, maybe with a feather or a bit of shit still stuck on—and that’s completely fine. It’s okay to be you. And if people don’t like that? Fuck them. That’s their problem, not yours.

It took me a long time not just to be myself, but to actually like myself. I used to hate who I was. Honestly, I hated myself more than I loved my children—and that’s saying something. But once I began to understand why I felt the way I did, I forgave myself. And everything changed. That forgiveness gave me conviction. It gave me clarity. It didn’t fix everything overnight, but it gave me a foundation to work with. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t trying to be someone I wasn’t. I was just trying to be me—and that felt bloody good.

What Does Being Yourself Even Mean?

Let’s unpack it. Being yourself means accepting who you are—your beliefs, personality, emotions, and quirks. It means owning your strengths and your flaws, without trying to mould yourself into what others expect. It’s not about being different just to stand out. It’s not about sticking two fingers up at the world for the sake of it. It’s about making choices that align with who you really are deep down. Society loves to tell men what we’re supposed to be: tough, silent, stoic. We’re taught to hide emotion, suppress vulnerability, and never admit when we’re struggling. But that’s bullshit. Being authentic means embracing every part of yourself—even the parts the world says you should hide. It means no more acting. No more pretending you’re fine when you’re drowning. No more fake laughs or putting on a mask just to fit in. You don’t need to put on a performance every time you walk out the door. You don’t need to become the version of yourself you think the world wants. What you need to be is honest. Real. Raw, even. And yeah, it can be scary as hell—but it’s also powerful.