Marya and I discussed authenticity on our radio show on Monday. (You can hear it here.) It turned into an interesting discussion. I see authenticity as being yourself, of course, but what does that mean? Do we even know who "we" are? We all have so many personas; we are parents, children, siblings, friends, neighbors, colleagues and more. Aren't we a bit different in every situation? Which one is the "real" you? Can we be slightly different in various relationships and still be "authentically us" in them?
The first question to address is where in your life do you experience authenticity (if, indeed, you do, yet. It is possible to have no place in your life in which you feel and are authentic). Do you have a relationship in which you feel perfectly comfortable? You can be with that person and not worry whether you are going to say the wrong thing or wonder what the other is thinking? That is authenticity.
I also see authenticity as being strong enough to say "no" and "yes" when you need to. "No" might be obvious. It can be easy for us to fall into a "yes" when we need to say "no" because we wouldn't want to hurt the other's feelings. But what about the "yes"? Why would that take strength? Often a "yes" takes us out of our box; out of our comfort zone. When Marya suggested the radio show, my initial response was "are you sure?" I wasn't ready for the yes, yet. It took Marya's insistence that it would be fun to get me going. Sure enough, she was right! AND I get to ride the wave of doing something that takes me out of my comfort zone. You see, each time to follow through on a "fearful yes", you get a surge of strength and power. (You can see a video of me here when I conquered a fear of heights and climbed the pinnacle at REI).
It is SO much easier to live from a place of authenticity. It takes so much work and energy to be someone you are not. Life is freer and more fun.
The Awaken to Joy program will help you find the strength you need to be more authentic. The program will help you locate areas that are unconsciously sapping your energy AND areas that are giving you energy (so you can do more!) Marya and I recently significantly reduced the tuition because we want you to join us! Let us help you be more authentic!
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