Called Out to Be Authentic

In this time and society it is pretty hard to be your authentic self huh. But it’s not even just from media, or the things that are going on around you. It was pretty interesting… a friend of mine called me a out a little while ago on this subject. He challenged me on authenticity. When he did that, a couple of things dawned on me. One: How can you be your authentic self if you don’t know what authentic or authenticity is or means? And two: How are you even supposed to know who your true, authentic self actually is if you’ve been compared with other people during most of your life so far?

To find and be your true authentic self can be one heck of a challenge. So let’s start with the basics here. What is authenticity, and what does authentic actually mean? The definition of the dictionary is: “to be of undisputed origin; origin”. And that is a really good way to put it. When you are authentic, you are being true to yourself, your values, your originality. No matter what people around you tell you, you know yourself more and more, and stick to the true you. You take responsibilities for your actions, your choices and decisions, and stand up straight for your mistakes.

Authentic or a Cheap Replica?

Think about it… Have you experienced it before where you bought something online, and really wanted this brand of shoes for example. You didn’t want the fake ones, did you? You wanted the authentic, original ones, right? They were definitely of higher value, but they were also much better quality. So think about that going forward… you are of very high value, so you don’t want to be a counterfeit of someone else. We are not here to be someone else’s copy of not so good quality.

Here comes the challenge though… what if you don’t know who your authentic self actually is? That’s a challenge, but it is something we are here to discover together 😊. Remember how I mentioned at the very beginning of the journey why it might be that you feel so exhausted and you don’t even know why? Could it be that so far, you’ve been living a life that was never meant for you to live in the first place? You’ve been trying to fit into boxes, and been taking on challenges throughout your life to do better than another person you’ve constantly been compared to?

One of the Challenges to Be Authentic

It’s really hard if you’ve been surrounded throughout your life with people that have had the habit to compare you to others. Especially since you’ve been very young. Because if that’s been the case, you haven’t really had the chance to get to know yourself, and be yourself. That’s not your fault at all. Especially if it was done by people you loved and trusted, because you believed what they said. You tried to gain their approval, and tried to win them over like the other person would.

It might’ve been a best friend mentioning another best friend all the time. Perhaps a cousin you felt close to, that kept mentioning another family member, and what they constantly liked about them. The hardest one is a parent, comparing you to another sibling, or friend of yours. That’s not fair to you. It’s pretty much them saying that you are not good enough the way you are, and you need to be more like someone else.

The Quality of Authenticity

Here is the thing… Many people compare you to other people subconsciously. They do it, without even realizing what they are doing, and what that can do to a person in the long run. But now is the time to take responsibility, and no longer use that as an excuse to not be ourselves, and not show our true self. It’s time to love and accept ourselves, to value ourselves, so that others can start seeing us through those glasses too. You want those good quality, real pair of Jordan’s, right? Not the cheap, fake ones that fall apart the first time you’ll get to wear them…

Please be aware that there will be people that will challenge you, and try to drag you back into your old self, your old ways and character they have been used to. There will be people that won’t be able to accept you once you start being true to yourself. Keep in mind, they connected with you in the times when you lived your life for someone else. But the people that truly have your back, and love you for you will stick around. And those are the people you want in your circle.

The Freedom in Being You True Self

Here is another thing… When you are authentic, you don’t have to share everything about you with everyone else around you. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to, you don’t owe it to anybody. But you do owe it to yourself to be truthful and honest with yourself. If you don’t like something, you can tell another person that you’d rather not go to that restaurant, because you don’t like that kind of food, and leave it at that. You don’t have to explain anything else. You don’t owe it to them. There will be times when you have your opinion, and other people won’t agree with it, and that’s okay. If they can’t handle it, then they don’t know how to handle that you are your authentic self.

We are here to be an original from here on forth. We were never created to be a cheap replica of anyone else. It is time to no longer try to keep up with who you’re constantly being compared with, because it’s not going to do you any good, but wear you out instead.

This week, let’s do a couple of things that will help finding your true authentic self one step at a time. And keep it in mind, everyone works at a different pace. When you take small steps, celebrate when you’ve taken them, and accomplished them. Could be with a favorite movie, maybe a favorite chocolate bar, whatever makes you feel good, and reminds you that you are celebrating a good moment and accomplishment.

What are You Going to Do About it?

Okay, this week, try to pay a closer attention to the decisions and choices you make. Ask yourself: ‘Do these align with my beliefs and values?’. Also, this week, set a new boundary. A third challenge for this week… If you get to face a situation where you don’t agree with it, speak up. Share your opinion in a respectful way. Don’t just bottle up what other people tell you, and what they think. You are a person too, and you have an opinion as well. And one last thing, pursue one of your passions. If you like art, go and draw a picture somewhere, have fun with it. If you have a musical passion, go somewhere where there are always artists at, and just sit there and listen for a bit. Doesn’t even have to cost anything. Do something for yourself you like and can have fun with.

For today, I am going to leave you with this 😊. Hey, you got this!!! Keep going, and don’t allow others to drag you back or down. If these are changes you want to take place, go for it! YOU GOT THIS!!!