What does authenticity mean to you?
When we talk about being authentic, people might say it’s about being “the real you”. But what does that actually mean?
One of the things I talk about in my book Answers in the Dark is the “dark side” we hide away. Not Darth Vader dark, but the fact that we hide parts of ourselves from others because we worry what they might think if they knew. Things like hiding your passion for crochet, eating your kid’s Easter Egg once they’d gone to bed (then “helping” them look for it the next day) or that you can’t get enough of Love Island. “Guilty pleasures” that we tuck away because we think if people knew, they’d think the worst of us. (It might genuinely affect how we sleep, and even how we dream.
But these things, or course, don’t make us bad people; they are the very things that make us human. Each of us has our own gifts, strengths, qualities and quirks, that makes the rich tapestry of life, well… a bit more interesting.
What if, like empathy, authenticity isn’t a trait at all but a skill we develop? Here’s something that might help:
This week, maybe set the intention to Bring In You. What would it be like to just show up at work – or at home – and talk about what you love and how you feel? To sing at your desk, to liberate yourself through laughter in meetings, and wear the clothes you love, whenever you want (this video explains more). How comfortable can you get, talking about – and being – the things that make you shine?
This article gives some top tips on knowing where to start. One is about your values, another is learning to Notice the Spark. Do your daily activities align with where you want to be?
Something to keep in mind: being authentic and rigid at the same time – digging your heels in about who you are, rather than who you can be – can complicate things. The video below explains that if what got you here won’t get you there (ie where you want to be) you can try another way.
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Copyright Delphi Ellis 2021
Helping You Sparkle™ 