Be your Authentic Self. Because…nothing feels better than the real deal! We feel so empowered when we embrace our differences and the value of the gifts we have to offer this world as unique individuals.
We boost our potential and contentment when we align with our authentic selves. Focus on ‘keeping it real’ and ‘being true to yourself’.
To begin with, let’s look at everything that authenticity is not…
12 Signs That Show You May Be Inauthentic?
- Faking your feelings.
- You are people pleaser who seeks validation from others.
- Don’t compare your life to everyone else’s.
- Abandoning your true self and pretending to be someone else.
- Lying and blaming others for your mistakes.
- Relinquishing your power by allowing others to make decisions for you.
- Feeling envious of other people’s success.
- Rigid in your thinking and not open to new ideas.
- Judging and discriminating against others.
- You are hanging out with toxic people.
- You Ignore your intuition and gut feeling. You value other people’s opinions over and above yours.
- You tend to value status and material possessions over and above life experiences and relationships.
Firstly, social media has hypnotised us and exposed us to fake personas for far too long.
Secondly, we are relying more on likes and validation online. Furthermore, we are misguided to believe we are not good enough as we are. As a consequence, we try to conform or change ourselves to feel accepted.
Moreover, we have become so obsessed with idolising total strangers. And as a result, we waste our time and resources exhausting ourselves trying to imitate others. We should devote our precious energy to understanding and elevating our true selves.
The Hallmark Signs Of An Authentic Person
- Expressing your feelings without fear of rejection. You feel grounded in yourself and what you stand for.
- You Feel grounded and confident. You know your self-worth and thus don’t worry about living up to others’ expectations.
- You Focus on your progress at your own pace. You don’t compete or compare yourself with others, because you understand everyone has a unique journey.
- You are accountable and responsible. Thus, you are not afraid to fail and learn from your mistakes.
- You are honest and transparent. You know the importance of building meaningful and trusted relationships.
- You value yourself and celebrate others’ successes. You feel happy to support and motivate them.
- You are open to seeking guidance and counsel, but you trust your gut and intuition to guide you. As a result, you always make the final choice that is best for you.
- A curious and open mind to new ideas and perspectives. You love to learn and seek to understand others better.
- Always giving without expectation. You are kind and appreciative, understanding and respectful of others.
- Choosing to keep good company. You surround yourself with like-minded people who seek to elevate and build each other up.
The Difference Between the Authentic Self & The False Self
Authenticity is self-accepting. It is self-reliant and doesn’t need external validation. The authentic self has a strong sense of self because it knows who you are and what you stand for. Self-worth rests on a foundation of personal values. Hence it is calm, relaxed and trusting. It is a growth mindset.
The false self is a mask we create and wear. It is an internal disconnect with the authentic self. It lacks an inner foundation and relies on the external. For this reason, it seeks the opinion and validation of others. Wearing a false mask requires a lot of work. Focusing on external validation holds us in a perpetual state of stagnation and arrested development. We do not grow!
How Do You Step Into Your Authentic Self & Feel Empowered?
Stepping into our authenticity requires honest introspection and self-reflection. Learning to become authentic requires us to slow down and become conscious and self-aware.
Self-awareness is a practice whereby we observe our thoughts and emotions and how they influence our behaviour.
It is essential to get a good balance of ‘Social Time’ and ‘Me Time’ to nurture yourself.
Nurturing Authenticity When Relating To Others
- Enjoy the moment and be present.
- Be selfless – focus on giving rather than getting.
- Focus on the feeling of being in your body rather than in your mind.
- Don’t try to impress or prove a point. It is not a competition.
- Be curious. Show interest by asking questions to show you would like to get to know them.
- Always be open to learning from others. You never know what nuggets they have to share that could be of value.
- While engaging with others, practice listening more than you talk. Listen, don’t think about what to say next. Listen to understand.
- Show interest in other people’s opinions. Have healthy debates. You don’t have to change your beliefs or accept theirs as your truth. Just listen to understand their perspectives and way of thinking.
Nurturing Authenticity Through Self Care & Alone Time
We live in a soup of noise that drowns out our internal guide and navigator. Spend quiet time learning more about you.
- Do take a break from the TV and radio.
- Journal your thoughts and feelings.
- Enjoy long walks (don’t plug into music).
- Immerse yourself in nature.
- Sit still and focus on your breathing. Practice meditating to become present.
- Become present in your surroundings and experiences.
- Engage your senses and take in the sights, sounds and smells
- Feed your soul with things that bring you joy and help you lose track of time.
- Wear what makes you feel good, not to please others.
Nurture Growth & A Life Of Purpose With The Power Of Authenticity
To grow emotional intelligence, we must develop our sense of self. As the saying goes: “As within…so without”. Everything we long for is within us. We must rely on our internal navigator and build our inner resources if we hope to bloom.
In reality, we do ourselves a great injustice when we try to be anything other than ourselves. We enjoy a life of meaning and purpose when we celebrate our uniqueness.
And finally…you don’t have to worry about wearing a mask anymore! At Lifebonder, we honour Authenticity and Diversity. We want you to ‘come as you are’ because ‘we love you, warts and all’!
Jessica Maria Dwyer
Jessica is a Content and Copywriter devoted to injecting the elixir of joy, inspiration and enthusiasm into the reader with her love for the written word. Her passion is to empower people to discover their potential, experience health and vitality, and inspire unity through reviving the tribe and reigniting the human connection.
