Living authentically – what does that mean?

To begin I want to state up front that I know we all could go on and on and on about the question of what authenticity means. So, here, I’m 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 (family systems, to vaccinate or not, how to behave ) or from a group (yoga philosophy, work ethics) that we spend a lot of time with and when we really examine the belief, we may discover – we don’t actually believe it at all. Belief examination takes time and commitment – to your personal development. When we release from beliefs that no longer serve us, it can be 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:  [email protected].

Make an amazing day!