Authenticity

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Nowadays we can hear and read a lot about authenticity. About being authentic. Being our true selves. Living our fullest potential. Expressing our individual uniqueness.
No matter what words we choose to describe it, our authenticity is important.

The good news on that is that being authentic is valued more in our society in general at this point in time.
Where we were deemed ‘eccentric’, or just plain weird ~ or even a bit crazy ~ when we expressed our authenticity in the past; now we are admired for doing so.

This also means that it becomes more and more important to figure out what our personal authenticity entails. What is part of our authentic self, and what is not? And how do we know the difference?

Sometimes it is easier to start looking at what is not part of our authenticity.
Dressing or behaving unconventionally for the sole purpose of showing off that we are authentic hardly ever fits the bill. It makes us eccentric rather than authentic. The same is true if the reason is “to keep  our city weird”; or if we see it as a statement that we are different than our parents would like us to be. In all these instances the reason for being different lies outside of ourselves.
When we are truly authentic, the reason will lie in the expression of a deep inner sense of who we are.

Therefore, authenticity is a state of being rather than something we do.

When we are ‘being ourselves’ ~ without having the need to hide behind words, behavior, dress codes etc. that place us in a certain category where we are told we belong ~ that is where we are authentic. This is also a state where expressing our individuality takes honesty rather than effort.

While it sounds easy to ‘just be ourselves’ and to honestly express our individuality in this manner, it does take a healthy dose of courage to actually start doing it.
Yet when we take the plunge, the rewards are enormous!

Being authentic and consequently living our authenticity has a tendency to make our lives easier. It may bring a lot more happiness and joy into our lives. It can help us set our priorities in such a way that we don’t get entangled in stuff that, in all reality, is not all that important to us…
And as we take on our own responsibilities, it becomes easier and easier to permit the people around us to do the same.

All the more reasons to embark upon the journey to discover our own authenticity.
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