I have always loved this quote because I believe that authenticity is the key to happiness. This does not imply that we need to be perfectly good or do everything right. Rather, it means to find the truth within ourselves and to act in accordance with that truth. Authenticity takes effort and practice. It means being in tune with ourselves—by building self-awareness and through ongoing self-reflection. This includes living with intention in alliance with our feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. If we get lost or go astray in this busy, inundated world, we always find our way back because to know oneself intimately is what creates a purposeful and meaningful existence. I think it is a very real expectation that we go through periods of losing and finding ourselves throughout our lives. In that way there is no end goal. It is a process…one that encompasses a lifetime. We shouldn’t beat ourselves up when we get off track because we are faced with many choices in life and we can’t expect to get A’s every single time. I don’t know if we can ever really arrive at our destination because so much of life is about the journey. Each experience that is presented to us brings us closer to “becoming us.”
Let’s face it, the teenage years and into your twenties for many of us can be painstakingly raw. We think we know who we are, but in reality, we are in the midst of so much learning and growth. We may play around with our identity by experimenting with our physical appearance, style of dress, personal idols, hobbies and interests, musical preferences, peer groups, etc. It is normal and even expected for this age group to experiment with where they belong. From our teen years into our twenties, thirties and forties, and onwards, we keep evolving. You simply can not compare your twenty-year old self with your thirty or forty-year old self. So much growth happens within each decade of your life, that you can not confuse who you were then with who you are now. Authenticity is not about your outward success (your career, family life, economic status), but rather your inward success (what makes up the real you). It means we can trust ourselves with the choices we make because those very choices are guided by our internal compass.
Have you ever made a decision or gone along with something that was against your core inner beliefs? Naturally, this is a very unsettling feeling. The reason for this is that we are not living in congruence with our built-in belief system. It is times like these that you need to stop and reflect on what is out of alignment in your life so that you can move forward with confidence.
After doing some thinking on this, I have devised a list of how to stay on the path to your authentic self.
Surround yourself with supportive people, ones who you can be real with and accept you for who you are.
Stay grounded. Do not be swayed by material things, price tags, or name brands to promote your self-worth.
Live with intention and a purpose. Create goals based on those and work towards achieving them.
Be able to say no when something does not sit right with you.
Follow your gut. Your gut is the instrument that will signal to you when something feels “off.”
Choose yourself first. This does not imply selfishness. This is about asking yourself what may or may not be working for you in your life.
Make self-reflection a part of your daily life. We can’t grow without evaluating ourselves and make those positive changes.
If you go against the grain, find a way to make it right within yourself.
Be willing to let go of things you may have thought were important to you at one time.
Accept and invite growth into your life. Do not be afraid of change.
Invest in yourself because there is honestly no better investment.
Spend time alone in quiet reflective activities. Find new ways to get to know yourself better.
Make a commitment to your personal growth and development. Use the necessary tools to help you get there (reading self-help books, self-reflection exercises, education and coursework, meditation and enlightenment).
