Living authentically – what does that mean?
To begin I want to state up front — I know I could go on and on and on about the question of what authenticity means. I am setting an intention to ‘keep it simple’ and explore just one way we can begin to discover our authentic self.
1) Know who you are, your goals in life, your life’s purpose.
What is unique about YOU? What do you care about? What contributes to your contentment?
2) Release from caring what other people think.
If those whose opinion you value do not accept you unconditionally, examine that. If you care too much what others think, be curious and explore that. As you let go of what others think, you become more grounded in your authenticity.
3) Be with people the way you want them to be with you.
If you want others to be compassionate toward you, show compassion toward others. If you want to feel loved, give love. If you want others to understand you, be understanding.
So…… how do we examine who we are? There are many ways – one way is to examine our belief system.
Make a list of what you believe. Reflect on each belief one-by-one. Trace this belief back in time – WHEN did this belief come to you and HOW? Example – I believe all people should be treated equally. Well, that’s an easy example and I don’t need to reflect on that at all – I know I believe it. Another example – I believe that we should care what other people think. Over time I have learned that by living my truth, when I interact with others honestly and respectfully, I can let go of what they think. Most often what others think about me is really about them, not me. I love the saying “What you think of me is none of my business.”
Sometimes we carry a belief from childhood or from a group that we spend a lot of time with and when we really examine it, we may discover – we don’t actually believe that. Belief examination takes time and commitment – to your personal development. When we release from beliefs that no longer serve us, it’s a beautiful thing!
One key way to know if you believe something – after reflecting on it, sit quietly and close your eyes. Tap into the stillness of the moment and ask yourself ‘is this true?’ You know the answer.
There are many exercises that can help us discover who we are….. if you have an idea – post away – I’d love for this blog post to be interactive so we can all learn from one another. If you are interested in exploring your belief system on a more personal, individualized basis – I provide life and health coaching via the telephone or Skype, email me at: mmillernh@comcast.net.
Make an amazing day!
~Maureen
LIVING LIFE, MAKING CHOICES, with Maureen Miller 
Thanks for this post on authenticity, Maureen. I find it an invigorating and empowering process to revisit my core beliefs every handful of years. It helps me to simplify my life and to reflect on how I choose to “be” in the world. Sometimes my process amuses me, as it reveals aspects of my personality: I make lists and diagrams and pour over my data, searching for themes, drawing out threads and culling the chaff.
Still, I read one of your questions with a famililar pang … of sadness? doubt? discomfort? “What makes you unique?” you posed. No matter my introspection, reflection, self-searching exercises – I have never been able to account for what might make me unique. Truly, I feel I am not. I am one pebble on a beach so many. How could I possibly be unique, and if I were, would it make a difference?
I’m curious about the experiences of others in this regard.
Is there a rememdy for the mental block that prohibits me from seeing myself as unique and, therefore dare I say, special?
Thank you so much for your post, K! I am holding a 6 week session about the topic of how to live authentically. We touch upon identifying our core values and our belief system and how we make choices to balance our life as well as take care of our body. We also examine change because inevitably when we reflect and examine our life so closely, we realize we want to make changes to live more in alignment with our life purpose. If you are interested, check out my website – http://www.yoganh.com – for more info. I also may be setting up an online class for folks who cannot make it to the studio in Concord NH….. We all have something unique to offer the world and sometimes we need some tools (classes, reading, reflecting, meditating, etc.) to help figure it out…. Namaste.
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