You’ve undoubtedly heard it somewhere, sometime before: that you are unique, that you’re here in this life for a purpose, and that your goal is to live a life that truly reflects who you are. It sounds good and feels right on a good day, but it is clearly easier said than done. But like a lot of things in life, the doing starts with knowing what creates the stopping—what keeps you from being you. Here are a few of the most common interrelated culprits:

Fear can stop us in our tracks. You’re afraid to try because you don’t and can’t know what will happen next, you worry about others’ reactions, or because doing what you want means stepping outside your comfort zone—it feels awkward at best, but often simply dangerous.

I’m OK if you’re OK. A lot of us grew up with that mantra embedded in our heads. Some of us are so wired for this that we go on autopilot. We've learned to bind our fear by making this our default—it's how we think, what we do. This........

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