Being our true authentic self can bring so much freedom and inner peace into our lives. Imagine not worrying about looking good or doing the right thing when you are around others. Think about how freeing this is when we are in that space. The more we can be in that space of authenticity, the more connection we will have with other people, including ourselves, and the more peace we will feel in our lives. Here are some things to practice and be aware of to add more authenticity to your life.
Practice being yourself. Sounds funny doesn’t it. It isn’t that shocking that people are avoiding being themselves. It is up to you, acknowledge social conditioning is affecting you and everyone of us. Persevere through this and discontinue being who you think people want you to be. This could be the main cause of a lot of your frustration in life (not letting your personality shine). Experiment to find what you are good at and most importantly what you aren’t good at. The best place to start is to do a review of your life so far. What can you talk about effortlessly?
Develop the courage to accept who you are because it will make you happy. When you can accept yourself you can also find your purpose.
Ex: you may want to be an NFL quarterback but you just don’t have the skill set. There are 32 NFL quarterbacks and they most likely have been playing since they were 5 because that’s what it takes. What have you been practicing or been interested in since you were 5? (For me it has been human behavior.)
What holds us back from being our authentic self? The biggest offender could be your ego. Your ego is defensive and doesn’t take risks where you could fail and look silly. Also, linking pain to being your self. It could be the terror of being rejected, not gaining approval, being yelled at, losing pride, or you fill in the blank. (Ex: If I tell this new person I just met that I like Justin Bieber they may not like me as much)! This is a mistake. Don’t change who you are.
When you hide who you are your telling yourself I am not worthy as I am. Do you let past failures determine your future? Practice being comfortable everywhere. When you are fearful, anxious, or angry you aren’t yourself so listen to your thoughts and choose a more powerful meaning. I want you to be a warrior not a worrier.
I would like to share a brief story of me practicing being myself. To set the scene I was at a family dinner party during July. My aunt had been telling me about her meatballs and how they were the best. So after I had them she said “My meatballs are the best aren’t they?” ME: They were good but a friend of mine used 4 different types of meats which made them exquisite. If this person were to get upset, it would be there ego (defending itself) talking not them. Since I wasn’t trying to please and saying the truth my relationship with this person became deeper. She could trust me.
Try saying to yourself “what ever comes my way I know I can handle it”.
Give yourself permission to be who you want. Be a role model and show your friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, strangers how inspiring it is being authentic. Famous or successful individuals have found out who they are. They found their strengths from mistakes, successes, and having the courage to experiment.
Give yourself love first so you can give love to everyone else.
Marty and Nick, Life Circles