Choosing authenticity is not an easy choice. E. E. Cummings wrote, "To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight - and never stop fighting." "Staying real" is one of the most courageous battles that we'll ever fight...
Given the magnitude of the task at hand - be authentic in a culture that wants you to "fit in" and "people please" - I decided to use my research to develop a definition of authenticity that I could use as a touchstone. What is the anatomy of authenticity? What are the parts that come together to create an authentic self? Here's what I developed:
Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think wwre're supposed to be and embracing who we are.
Choosing authenticity means
- cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable;
- exercising the compassion that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle; and
- nurturing the connecton and sense of belonging that can only happen when we believe that we are enough.
Authenticity demands Wholehearted living and loving - even when it's hard, even when we're wrestling with the shame and fear of not being good enough, and especially when the joy is so intense that we're afraid to let ourselves feel it.
Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy, and gratitude into our lives.
- Brené Brown, excerpted from The Gifts of Imperfection:
Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
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