Authentic Self: Live Yourself To The Fullest !
Recently, authenticity has been heavily criticized, and with good reason. In an attempt to be perceived as “authentic,” leaders have lost credibility by disclosing too much personal information in the wrong context. People use the justification that their acts are a reflection of their "authentic self" to justify harming others. Some people cite authenticity as a justification to reject impression control in any form, and their selfish actions make them less trustworthy. (Source: Google Images) Those who have mastered the art of seeming to be genuine are the true failures. Authenticity is not the issue. The misinterpretation of authenticity is the issue. Though it might be motivating, it's crucial to know whose self you are referring to when you choose to be true to the proverb “to thine own self be true.” Are you referring to your emotional, impulsive self? Your conceited self? Your responsible self? Your shy persona? or your real, genuine self? How do you distinguish between them, too? Where's your guide to make the distinction? What happened to your tools? "There lies within every being a place where, when connected to it, we feel deeply and intensely alive," according to American philosopher William James. There is a silent voice inside that says, "This is the real me," at these times. This is where your true self lives. Here are three indicators that you are headed in the right direction when it comes to living and leading genuinely, even though it can be challenging to locate and characterize this location and explain why something is great.Cracking the Feeling of ‘Being Authentic’ ~ Genuine commitment to one's own development and self-awareness is what it means to be authentic. The word "sincere" comes from the Latin "sine" (without) and "cera" (wax), meaning wax-free. A common interpretation holds that dishonest sculptors in ancient Greece and Rome would conceal imperfections in their work with wax in order to trick prospective buyers; so, a sculpture that is "without wax" would be honest about its imperfections. One can tell whether someone is authentic when they feel at ease with their flaws and imperfections. This is the result of a lifetime dedication to self-discovery. Leonard Cohen once said, "Forget your perfect offering." Everything has a crack in it. That's how light enters the darkness.(Source: Google Images) How you improve the world should be your yardstick for living. To be authentic means to have anything less than a flawed commitment to making the world a better place. Humans by nature are good and compassionate people. Be careful not to confuse sincerity with a coping or survival strategy. Being rude, for instance, is never real. Nobody is a snob by birth. It's not who we are. A coping mechanism that is picked up somewhere down the line is being rude to others. Authentic presence requires a genuine desire to serve something greater than oneself, and many of them will do whatever it takes to keep it going. Genuine individuals simply don't hesitate since they have honest intentions. Realizing that you can be who you are and let life take you where it wants to be the most liberating feeling there is.
