Living Authentically… This phrase is used a lot but what does that mean. Let’s look at the definition of Authentic: “not false or copied; genuine; real.” And, my favorite definition, “representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself or to the person identified.”
Authenticity is about presence, living in the moment with conviction and confidence and staying true to yourself. An authentic person puts the people around them at ease, like a comforting, old friend as they are at ease with themselves.
Through life we’ve all found that ease with anything comes once there is a level of knowledge around that thing. Example: You’ll be at ease at work once you’ve learned that skill.
When it comes to our relationship with ourselves and others, ease comes from knowing ourselves in the form of self-awareness. Self-awareness defined as “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives & desires. To see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection & introspection.”
This is the process of truly knowing thy self… understanding our values, habits, motives, desires, our impact on others and how other’s see us.
Once we can get real and truly know ourselves, we combine that with the courage to be true to ourselves in every moment. In this space we can embrace life, add value to others, listen deeply…not to just others but to our own intuition. Developing a strong sense of self-awareness allows us to define and determine precisely what it is we need from this life to be happy. Below are tips on building our self-awareness.
Ways to cultivate self-awareness:
- Create time for yourself:
- Hone into your own energy.
- Carve out time to detach from distractions.
- Practice Mindfulness:
- Pay attention to your inner landscape as it arises.
- Placing your awareness and focus in the moment.
- Journal your awareness:
- Process your thoughts through writing.
- Practice listening:
- Pay attention to the words but also body language, tone of voice, emotions how are they relating to you.
- Don’t judge, assume, or evaluate.
- Gain a different perspective:
- Ask for feedback from those around you. The people around us see & experience characteristics that our consciousness doesn’t see.
Becoming authentically who we are is an important part of finding happiness and it’s an important part of creating the type of life we want to lead. When we allow ourselves to live freely, and to stand up for what we think, laying personal boundaries, and taking responsibility for the good and bad in life that is of our own doing. We’re reconciling ourselves to who we are and being able to stand proudly before the world and say – this is who I am, this where I’ve been, and this is where I’m going. It’s time to drop the charade, live courageously & freely and allow ourselves to chase the things that bring us happiness.