I spoke to  a good friend this morning who asked why I keep talking about authenticity.   She said it bothers her to hear so many people talk about it when she knows that the ‘real’ sense of her nature is all about being lazy, crabby, negative, etc, and it’s her ‘stellar’ self that she wants to give to people not her ‘authentic self’.   She was concerned that all this talk about being authentic might give people the wrong idea.

I LOVE my friends!!  I am so grateful we had this conversation today because I’m sure she isn’t alone in feeling this way.

So I’d like to clear up this misnomer about the kind of authenticity I’m referring to.  In my mind it looks more like this:

Moving beyond fears, beyond the idea that there are bad people out there doing bad things in a bad world that will keep me from expanding.  There are also wonderful people doing wonderful things in a world that has seen some wonderful opportunities.

Think about this, whenever your parents would say, “Oh honey, be careful.”  What did that imply?

Is there something to be afraid of?  Should I hold back?  We often shrink our desire to leap forward, step out of the boat, take risks, or tap into our God given strength to move ahead with faith, particularly when we’ve been burned.

To be authentic you must move beyond personal fears into a place where you can grow and stretch and leap into faithful action without worry about what others might think about your decision.  This also means taking responsibility for the outcome, whether positive or negative, and being accountable for the follow up actions one needs to take for correction or celebration.

In dictionary dot com

the definition of Authenticity is:  The condition of significant, emotionally appropriate living.

My own philosophical standpoint is:  Being faithful to internal rather than external ideas

The definition of In-authenticity: a state in which life, stripped of purpose and responsibility, is depersonalized and dehumanized

If you’ve grown up with any kind of embeded fears, whether passed down from parents or taught in school, finding out your authentic self begins by recognizing what fears hold you back and how you can move beyond them.

How?  Study, listen to CD’s, pray in faith that you will receive courage, talk to others who have been there.  It IS possible!!

I hope this clears up any misunderstanding about what I mean when speaking about being authentic. Please feel free to let me know what your definition of authenticity might look like.  I’m always open to new ideas and insights!