Unlocking Change Through Reflection - What Does It Mean to Be Your Authentic Self?
- Jana Field
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
What exactly do I mean by living an authentic life? For starters, it means matching your daily actions with your core values and making choices that align with your true inner nature. Having an authentic life also means living a joyful existence with feelings born of love, kindness, compassion, and empathy.
The 3 Steps to Becoming Authentic
We can only live authentically when we are free to express our authentic selves fully. Let’s take a moment to reflect on what is required to become authentic.
1. Know yourself:
· Who am I?
· What do I like?
· What do I care about?
· What do I need?
· What are my true values?
· What are my strengths and weaknesses?
2. Own yourself:
· Can I make choices without seeking other people’s opinions or approval?
· Can I healthily express my needs or feelings without compromising myself?
· Can I own any space I walk into without fearing judgement from others?
3. Be yourself:
Can I act in my true identity in any situation without hiding my real personality behind a mask out of fear of being judged, ridiculed, shamed, or isolated?
Becoming Authentic
Being authentic requires you to tune into your inner nature and not be afraid to think, feel, and behave in ways that reflect your true personality. It means choosing to be the greatest expression of yourself, a quest for living your Truth, being genuine, and living a life with meaning and purpose.
Aaron Rogers defines it beautifully when he says, “Authenticity is everything! You have to wake up every day and look in the mirror, and you want to be proud of the person who’s looking back at you. And you can only do that if you’re being honest with yourself and being a person of high character. You have an opportunity every single day to write that story of your life.”
I also love John Legend’s definition: “Soul is about authenticity. Soul is about finding the things in your life that are real and pure.”
What Do Authentic People Do to Be Real?
Being authentic means living in accordance with your true self, no matter what external pressures force you to be otherwise. It’s about behaving in a certain way without falling prey to the expectations of your family, friends, work colleagues, or society.
Authentic people take responsibility for their lives. They aren't afraid to stand up for themselves, have difficult conversations, or demonstrate vulnerability. An authentic person values healthy boundaries, genuine relationships, and trusts themselves to make the right choices.
They're aware of their capabilities and value self-respect, self-commitment, self-care, and self-love.
Authentic people choose love, humility, and gratitude to live a wholehearted life aligned with their truth, giving them the freedom to live to their full potential every day.
The Benefits of Being Authentic
There are many benefits to being your authentic self. Some examples include:
Reducing your stress levels. When you are comfortable in your own skin and living your truth, you have the power to diminish internal and external noise that causes stress and anxiety.
No more people-pleasing. The more you know yourself, the less you compromise yourself with others.
Showing up for yourself instead of playing small or hiding behind a mask. This leads to improved self-esteem and confidence.
Better health as you feel stronger, more confident, and happier no matter what challenges life throws your way.
Cultivating self-awareness through self-reflection empowers you to become aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Through observation, you can ask yourself, “Do they reflect my authentic self?”
Unpacking your limiting beliefs helps you identify where you are self-sabotaging. These are actions that hold you back from living up to your true potential.
Getting comfortable with your authentic voice takes courage, and I recommend you start doing this by speaking up truthfully around people you trust and who have your best interests at heart.
Practicing self-love is an absolute must for bringing you closer to YOU. The more you love yourself unconditionally, the less you will think, feel, and act in ways that don’t support your worthiness.
Practicing self-love uncovers what you have been suppressing all your life under layers of conditioning and reveals what needs to be released to free your authentic self.
I end today’s podcast with some questions to reflect on:
What do I know about myself that truly reflects my authentic self?
What would I do if I had no fears holding me back from being my true self?
How do these words by Dr. Joe Dispenza make you feel? "Your personality is made up of how you think, act, and feel. It is your state of being. Therefore, your personality creates your personal reality."
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