Wouldn’t it be great if you could just be your authentic self? No masks, no gimmicks, just who you’ve always thought you were on the inside. You would be free to let your spirit shine through, your soul, the essence of your being. Believe me, she wants to break through all of those walls you’ve been hiding behind.
That sounds good, but you’re scared right? What will people think of me? What if they don’t like me? What if I lose my friends? The problem though, is that if you’re not true to yourself, you’re the one that will be hurting. You may look good on the outside, but inside you’re feeling broken and empty. So what’s the alternative? Authenticity, being genuine, true to who you are and what you value. This process takes work, there isn’t a magic pill that will get you there. You may fight kicking and screaming, but in the end you will feel amazing about the way you are living your life, you’ll be more creative, opportunities will flow to you, you will be overflowing with abundance. Sounds too good to be true? All you have to do is flip on the TV or step into your workplace and you will probably find several people who seem lost, like only the shell of the person is left, they have lost there authentic selves along the way. This may even describe your situation right now, on auto-pilot day in and day out. But the good news is you can start today on the journey to a more authentic you.
Meditate
If you still think meditation is this woowoo voodoo science that only hippies and monks do them you need to get with it. Meditation is amazing! It has literally changed my life, it melts away your stress and anxiety, clears your mind, helps you to make better decisions, and here’s the kicker, it helps You become more You! Meditation is really just the practice of getting quiet with ourselves. With all the technology always grabbing our attention, how often are we really just quiet? When we can be still and quiet, we can hear what it is our intuition is saying. We can tune into our body, our mind and our spirit. All of a sudden who you really are begins to shine through.
Ideally you will want to meditate for at least 20 minutes a day. If you are new to meditation start small, like 5 minutes and work your way up. There are plenty of guided meditations on google or youtube. This is not something that you can master in one sitting. It takes practice, but if you’re consistent, I promise you that you will see positive life changes because of it!
Learn to Say No
No is usually one of the first words toddlers learn how to say and yet just as soon as we learn it, we are being told not to use it. We have become a Yes society. Yes I’ll bake 3 dozen cupcakes for a classroom of kids already too hyped up on sugar, sure I’ll stay late again to help you with your project, I’d love to come over and see your new cat. Really? When did our No button stop working? Society puts a lot of pressure on us to do more, be more, but think about the pressure you are placing on yourself? Is the world really going to end if you don’t see your mom’s new dinner plates right this second? The point is say yes to the things that you really want to do, that will push you toward your goal, that jive with your values. Ok sometimes we can’t just say no, there are things that need to be done. The point is when you do have a choice (and you do more often than you think) say no if it’s not in your heart. You only have so much time in one day. If you want to keep your sanity (and your health), learn to say no, respectfully.
Get Rid of Labels
So I’m kind of a foodie blog junkie. I don’t discriminate, I read them all, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Raw, Dessert, you name it, I’m obsessed. I have a lot of food intolerances so I don’t fit exactly in any one category, that’s why I read so many. I’ve noticed a trend though that these bloggers sometimes get too caught up in the label, to the point where they lose their authentic selves. Sure it was fun to be Paleo at first and share the experience with all my friends, but does that mean I have to do CrossFit now? That I can’t have a little quinoa once in a while?
Think of the labels that you attribute to yourself, gluten free, yogi zen master, introverted extrovert, life of the party, everyone’s favorite shoulder to cry on. Are these labels just putting you in a box that is more claustrophobic than freeing? Do you feel like you have to do certain things just because of this label you attribute to yourself? Get rid of it. Then the pressure to fit into that box won’t be there anymore.
Be Vulnerable
Part of being authentic is tearing off those masks. What’s underneath may not always be so pretty, but own it anyway. Have you ever met one of those people who just seemed so genuine? They were so free to be exactly who they were. Well here’s your chance. Vulnerability is scary, exposing ourselves is scary, but it also makes you more human and less robot. People will connect with you on a deeper level. Authenticity means showing yourself, being who you are no matter what other people think. Because if you’re not ruffling someone’s feathers you aren’t being true to yourself. Not everyone is going to like you, that’s ok, get comfortable with the uncomfortable, that’s where the magic happens.
Be a doer
Authentic actually has its roots in two words, autos (meaning the self) and hentes (meaning accomplish or achieve), so authentic is really about the ability to achieve something or accomplish something for yourself. Meaning you need to do more doing and less thinking. If you’re anything like me you may tend to get caught up in your thoughts, but being authentic means actually going out there and doing something, anything. Do you like to dance? Go take lessons. Have you always wanted to paint? Sign up for a class. Being more you means taking steps that will get you there. What is something that your authentic self wants you to try?
With these 5 tricks you are well on your way to becoming the best possible version of yourself. Remember it’s a journey, change takes time. Get out of your own way. Learn to love your true self.
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