To affirm self means that you accept yourself and the totality of the uniquenesses that are you. Sometimes external messages about who we ought to be (or not be) causes chaos with who we are innately. This not only muddles our ability to affirm our intrinsic self (or our true sense of self), but can lead to emotional distress, for not “showing up” as we truly are can negatively impact how we see ourselves and others, our perception of how others see us, and inevitably our relationships with others.