Authenticity
From a google search – the meaning of authenticity:
“Put simply, authenticity means you're true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you're under to act otherwise. You're honest with yourself and with others, and you take responsibility for your mistakes. Your values, ideals, and actions align.”
What if you are authentically not a nice person? Are you to be true to that part of your personality or should you twist yourself into a likeable person for approval? What if you are loud and rash? Is it yours to go and get coached on how to be more likeable? Good questions and the answers are not obvious.
The initial answer is no, don’t change who you are. Don’t alter your personality to be accepted or receive approval, at least, not if you can live with that result. If you can live happily with a small circle of friends that is the result of your behavior, well then go ahead, be you as you are, do you – as they say now – as you are, and just be ready to accept the results of your choices.
But, let’s take this to a deeper level. If you are a not nice, cranky, critical, bitchy, kind of person, ask yourself, is this who I am, or is this my reaction to life? Have I become this way due to surviving some tough life situations? Have I created this version of me to avoid people, emotions, and pain?
If you are truly honest with yourself, you might come to realize that some of your ways of being are the ways that you have taken on to survive. Life can be tough. My early childhood experiences caused me to be a liar. I lied a lot and I lied to everyone. This was a system of protection. I choose to not judge myself any longer but look upon my earlier self with great love, forgiveness, and compassion. But here’s the question - was that version of me authentic at the time? Yes, it was. It was a necessary version of me that was needed to get through. Once I learned that that old way of being was no longer necessary, I choose to change, to be more transparent and to show in a new authentic way.
We were born from love, through love, and if it remained uninterrupted, expressed love. This is our truest and most authentic way of being, but to deny other versions of ourselves is to turn our back on who we were. This can be one of the quickest ways to create our shadow – by denying what is.
You are the state of love and perfection that birthed you and at times you are the versions of yourself that were required to survive. There is, however, a significant difference between being our authentic god designed self, and our survival self. Make room for the truest you, but loving what is and allow the shell to fall off, leaving you beautifully naked in your essence.
