Being Unapologetically You

Ditching Other’s Advice and Owning Your Sacred Path

By Diamond-Michael Scott aka The Chocolate Taoist

Trusting one’s inner sacred wisdom isn’t for the faint of heart. In a world that loves to dole out well-meaning advice like candy, it takes a certain rebellious spirit to stand firm in your truth. 

Everyone’s got an opinion—your family, your friends, even random strangers who think they know better. But here’s the thing: their advice might be wrapped in care, but it’s not your truth. 

And deep down, you know it.

Lao Tzu didn’t preach about conforming to the noise of others. He essentially said, “At the center of your being, you have the answer.” 

That’s the fire you’ve got to stoke—the gut feeling, the instinct, the whisper in your soul that says, this is what’s right for me. 

But trusting that takes grit. When you’re surrounded by people offering their take, it’s easy to get pulled off course. You’ve got to have the nerve to say, thanks, but no thanks, and keep it moving.

I’ve been there. I remember a time while living in San Diego, caught between what everyone said I should do and what I felt deep down. I let their advice sway me, made a choice that wasn’t mine, and felt lost for years because of it. 

I’ll never forget how empty it felt to live someone else’s idea of who I should be. That’s when I realized the most dangerous thing isn’t failure—it’s betraying yourself.

The philosopher Zhuangzi talked about going with the flow, but he didn’t mean going with everyone else’s flow. He means your flow. It’s about trusting that the universe has your back and riding your own current, no matter what the world says. 

And if that makes you a little hard to pin down, a little misunderstood? Good. That means you’re finally living your truth.

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