Define Authenticity for You!

Authenticity, find it and live a better life. There are a lot of similarities that put people, places, and things into categories. However, regardless of the categorization or similarities everyone and everything is unique in itself. Finding your authenticity is how to increase your self-esteem and create a better life for you and those around you.

Comparing yourself to others or trying to function in abilities you don’t have is like forcing a square peg into the round hole? Hammering it until it fits, scratching it up, and losing some of it in the process. Some of the older teenage sitcoms like Square Pegs (1982), Wonder Years (1988), A Different World (1987), and many others are perfect examples of situations comparing yourself to fit in.

In our daily walk through life, we run across people who have the same favorite color or drive the same kind of car. We meet people that like to do the same fun things and have the same hobbies. We even meet people that have been through the same situations, tragedies, or circumstances as us. But no matter what the similarities, there is only one you.

Comparing yourself to others is a trap to still your joy and distract you from your intended being. Authenticity is simply being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character. Dr. Seuss an American author and illustrator said it best “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

Why it is so important to know your authentic self? Think about this, opposites attract. Most of my friends and associates are quick thinkers and outspoken extroverts. Me on the other hand I am an introvert, a slow thinker, an analyst, therefore It takes me a little longer to process things so I don't always jump in on the conversation. But until I realized that about myself I believed that I was just slow and unknowledgeable in a lot of areas. Therefore, when around outspoken extroverts my confidence level was low so I kept quiet and became the shy one in the group. Being an introvert does not mean your shy. An introvert more or less just energizes better in their alone space. But once your energized you’re ready to take on the world.

Oprah repeatedly says this about her 25years of doing The Oprah Winfrey Show, “There is only one thing that we all have in common that is a longing for an existence that matter.” Committing to a life of authenticity takes courage and there are many quotes about authenticity you can recite on a daily basis to help. I encourage you to take time and listen to your own instincts and pay attention to the decisions you make each day. Dr. Brené Brown a research professor at the University of Houston and author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers said “Authenticity is not something we have or don’t have. It's a practice-- a conscious choice of how we want to live. 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.”

Believe it or not, walking in your authentic self will add value to the lives of those around you.

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