Are you living an authentic life?
Are you honouring who you truly are and being your best version? Or are you compromising yourself, your feelings and dreams to make others happy and keep the peace?
Be honest. We all do it at different points in our lives and to varying degrees.
Often these behaviours come from a heartfelt place of not wanting to upset others. We think we are doing the right thing by putting other people’s feelings ahead of our own, or because we are simply fearful of making a change. But is this always the best outcome?
Have you considered who loses out when you are inauthentic?
You? Someone else? Society? It’s all three. Reflect on this thought for a moment. The opportunity eludes you and others to experience the ripple effect of the personal growth that occurs when you put yourself in a position of vulnerability and strength to honour your personal needs and stand up for who you are. When you avoid difficult situations, you also miss the chance to understand what you can bring to the table and life in general when the going gets tough. If you don’t practice this skill, you have less potential to get it right when it matters most.
It’s imperative to be honest about where authenticity sometimes lacks so that you can make the most of your life and the abundance that is continually available in all forms.
Through your lifestyle, the daily choices you make and how you treat people, you are sending out messages and showing the world a version of yourself. But is it the one you are happy with?
What are those things that you need to stop doing to improve your life and live more authentically?
Leave that job? End that relationship? Have that honest conversation with your best friend? Quit smoking? It can be confronting to sit down and reflect on those parts of yourself that you often disown. Why? Because it’s easier to disown them than face the alternative. But you can’t ignore them forever. The persistent whisper gradually becomes louder and more forceful until you can no longer cast it aside. So, you have a choice. Make changes that bring you back into alignment willingly or wait until you are pushed into a corner and have your back against the wall. Which one will you choose?
Authenticity, or the lack of, also runs much deeper.
When you are inauthentic, you’re not fully able to embrace why you’re here and reap the benefits of doing so. You are missing the chance to meet the Universe halfway as it endeavours to steer you towards your best self. As much as you hate it, you learn the most during a challenge because you either step up or come crashing down. That’s when all the trivia in life crumbles as you are left with no choice but to focus on the key aspects of your life. Those things that are important, like good health, love and the relationships you have with those closest to you. An opening has been created to reset your life and make different decisions moving forward. The rest is up to you. As harsh as it sounds, you have free will, so take it or leave it.
Living with authenticity, as scary as it can be, ultimately liberates you.
So, when you are navigating through the twists and turns of being your true self and showing others exactly who you are, hold on to that. Authenticity frees you to be your unique self, and once you can accept that, you’re already further ahead than you know.
With love,
Sarah x