Working Towards Authenticity
Be authentic. Live an authentic life. It’s the current buzzword. But what does it actually mean?
“Authenticity is not something we have or don’t have. It’s a practice — a conscious choice of how we want to live. Authenticity is actually a collection of choices, choices that we make every day. It’s the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
~ Brené Brown
The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are. ~ Carl Jung.
Being authentic is more than being real; it’s about finding what is real.
Bronnie Ware, a nurse in Australia, worked several years in palliative care. Throughout her career, she said the number one regret expressed by her patients was “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
Isn’t it hard to truly be yourself. Doesn’t everyone have different versions of themselves that they put forward depending on the circumstance? I’ve heard people say, “I’m me. Take me or leave me. I’m the same person 24/7.” But are we really?
If you take a person who has never been in an upscale restaurant and place them into that dining experience, will they be their true authentic self? Or will they be so self-conscious and uncomfortable that they are simply unable to enjoy the experience.
I believe that Brene Brown has the right idea. Living authentically is a series of choices that we make everyday to show up, be real, and be honest. With others and perhaps most importantly, with ourselves.
It’s time to be ourselves. Time to stop pretending that we’re OK when we’re not OK. Maybe living authentically is about being truly present in each and every moment. Perhaps living authentically means finally understanding that perfection is an illusion so we can stop chasing it and love ourselves the way we are. And for one and for all, stop trying to please everyone else.
“My living authentically is more important than pleasing others.” ~ Najwa Zebian
Yes. It is. It’s living your life according to your own goals, your own values, not those of anyone else. Once you can do that, you have truly achieved self-awareness, self-determination, and perhaps even a measure of happiness.
