What The HELL is Authenticity?
Before digging deep into your authenticity, what is authenticity to you?
The word alone gets thrown around so much these days. I hear authenticity as much as I hear my three children say, "Mom?" or "What's for dinner?" and "Can someone get me some toilet paper?" This is no lie as it is a word that I have used to save myself, relationships, and clients. As parents we use it to guide our children, to build our home inspection and coaching businesses as well as the businesses' philosophies. My husband and I reference authenticity every time during the good, the bad, and ugly in our relationship as well. It gives us a place to go back to, the original purpose of why we chose each other.
I am sure you have seen it and heard it being thrown around just as much on social media, books, magazines, TV shows, and commercials. The word authenticity appears on our clothes, stickers, packaging, on walls in fitness studios, and on signs in the grocery stores (authentic food aisle 8). The damn word is everywhere! At this point you might even think it is .... I know I do. When words and sayings get thrown around allot, they can lose their original meaning. This could be the very case with the word authenticity AND the act of being authentic.
Society defines authenticity multiply ways; however, we are strictly referencing it towards our actions as human beings. Authenticity is not something you either have or don't have. It's not an acquired trait but a chosen conscious daily practice. Brene Brown, a lifetime researcher on human behavior and expert, does an exceptional job describing authenticity.
"Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day.
It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest.
The choice to let our true selves be seen. It's a daily practice of letting
go of who we think we're supposed to be and embrace who we are"
How can you choose to be authentic? Have courage to be imperfect, be vulnerable, give yourself compassion for your strengths AND your struggles. Spend your energy on taking care of how you make connections and commit to staying original even when it means not belonging. It requires you to live wholeheartedly in the highs and lows of life even when you are afraid of failure, rejection, and not being good enough.
Many of us try to acquire more things, more money so we can do more of what we want in order to be happier. But that isn't how it works folks. I have personally been there, done that and the repercussions nearly cost me my life. Instead, you must be in your truest form, then do what you need to do so that you can have what you want.
All of this is just the tip of an iceberg when digging into the word AUTHENTICITY. You could even say it looks simple. Please know it's not. It's difficult yet extremely rewarding in the sense it brings much relief, even joy, and hope and that is why so many of us choose to be and lean towards authenticity.
What is your authenticity? Please share by sending an email at jondreaphelps.com.
Want to discover your authenticity? Want to learn how to choose authenticity? Connect with me at www.jondreaphelps.com
