Authentic Self

Authentic Self

One big question I have been asking of recent is, “Why is it important to our souls to be our Authentic Self?” and while on this question, “What is being your Authentic Self?”

The term “Authentic Self” has been coming up a lot in recent conversations where other people have initiated the term. From psychologists to corporate to spirituality, people have been talking about the importance of being your “authentic self” or using statements such as, “you need to just be your authentic self.”

So I decided to take a deep dive into this term to provide you with some insight around what this actually means for us on a personal level.

It is not merely a “buzz word” after all, although sometimes I think people use this term without actually understanding its’ importance. It is a real term and being our authentic self is as important to us as breathing.

If we are really being our authentic self, we will actually feel and have more meaning and joy in our lives.

So what does it mean to be your authentic self?

Let’s start with some key definitions here so we can start to wrap our heads around this term “authentic self.”

Authentic means – of undisputed origin, not a copy, genuine, real, true

Self means - A person’s essential being that distinguishes them from others

Authentic Self refers to  

Not being a copy of anyone else. Being genuine, real and true to who you really are.

You have an honest representation of yourself, regardless of external influences.

You are true to your own personality, values and spirit regardless of the pressure that you are under to act otherwise.

You are honest with yourself and with others and you take responsibility for your life.

Your values, ideals and actions align.

Values are Principles and standards of your behaviour. Your own conclusion of what is important to you in life.

Principles are a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as a foundation for a system, belief, behaviour or for a chain of reasoning.

So being our authentic self means that we know ourselves well, our personality and we have values and “truths” that are unique to us and define the way we choose to behave in the world that are important to us.

Being your authentic self actually means not being like anyone else!

It means beating your own drum, following your own heart, doing what makes you feel happy and joyful.

It is not trying to “fit in” with society or acting – behaving one way we family and in a different way at work. It is about being consistently true to your own identity.

Why is being your authentic self important?

Being your authentic self illuminates your path forward to live the live that you want. When you get clear on what matters to you, you make choices that align with your identity and core values. You begin to build a life that brings you meaning and joy.

Our souls have come into human form to grow and expand through having multiple experiences, to create. Living our authentic self creates the feeling of being truly present and alive.

Being your authentic self is going to be absolutely unique to you. You are unlike anyone else on this planet. Often, people try and fit into other people’s expectations or society expectations; because they want to feel as though they are accepted or belong. But in doing this, they are not being true to their own souls’ authenticity and this can leave them feeling disconnected, unsatisfied, and empty.

Being your authentic self is just that. Being.

How often do we change ourselves to “fit in” to different environments and with different people? How often do we define ourselves by experiences we have had in our life or by “society” expectations / standards or even expectations from people and family around us?

In today’s society, inclusion has become a term that is used openly and freely…and it’s great! The term inclusion gives each of us the absolute right to be our authentic self and be accepted as we truly are.

The other key component of being our authentic self is wellness. Being in higher vibrations such as love, freedom, empowerment and knowledge, creates well-being in every cell of our body. This then gives us longevity and more time to create, expand and enjoy life.

So being our authentic self is an important aspect of being souls in human form. It illuminates our creative path forward, it is fun and full of vitality!

It is time to stop presenting to the world how we think people want us to be and start presenting to ourselves first – living our authentic self.

I have personally spent time reflecting on my own truths, questioning and rediscovering my own personal values and principles. Starting to re-identify with my Authentic Self.

Seriously, if you do not know your authentic self then how can you expect other people to know you?

How to know your Authentic Self.

Here are some great ways to get to rediscover your authentic self.

• Start writing a list of “I am…” statements. This is the strongest statement that we can make to ourselves.
  • These statements to yourself will be a knowingness. You will feel it resonate with you somewhere in your body.
  • For example, if you write “I am honest”, stop and try and feel this statement in your body
  • This activity is not about pumping out a list – It is a feeling of knowingness for each statement you write.
  • Not sure what words to use to describe yourself? Look up “adjectives” and “descriptive words” online and see how many “I am….” statements you can write down for yourself.

• Think about your belief system and challenge it.
  • When you do something a certain way, ask yourself “Why?” you do it that way.
  • Asking yourself “Why” will take you straight to challenging your belief system.
  • For example: “Why do feel compelled to go down every aisle in the supermarket? Answer: Because I believe that I might miss out on a special or I believe it will help me to remember to get something that I forgot to put on my list.
  • For example: “Why do I need to go quiet in meetings?” Answer: Because I believe other people will judge me, or I believe that I will say the wrong thing and sound bad.
  • Now you can reason with yourself and ask if you need to hold onto that belief or if you can form a new belief.

• Stop and observe your own behaviours.
  • When you pay attention to the way you are behaving, you gain knowledge and can then either choose to continue with the same behaviour or change it.
  • How do you behave at work? What is your pitch, tone, pace and body language like? Does it feel comfortable and natural to you?
  • Do you changed your behaviour with different people and in different situations?
  • How do you behave at home?
  • How do you behave in social settings?
  • What we are aiming for in observing our behaviours in each of these areas is to discover if we are actually being our authentic self in all situations and environments or are we trying to people please or conform to what other people “expect” from us?

• Make yourself a cuppa and allow your mind to think about the things in life that bring you meaning and joy.
  • This could be your children but think outside of the “norm” with this.
  • It might be seeing a sunset, chasing a rainbow, hearing the birds, helping other people, getting into a warm bed, having a shower, writing, listening to music, having a job to go to, being creative.
  • When you are aware of what brings you meaning and joy in your life, you are understanding your authentic self more and this can help you to step into being your authentic self more and more.

And remember the Law of Attraction too. When you are feeling joy, empowerment, freedom and knowledge vibrating from your soul and through your body – you will attract more of this to you!