Hello and welcome,
And today's word is Authenticity.
Have you ever felt the need to act a certain way just to fit in,
Even if it doesn't feel like you?
And have you ever looked around and wondered,
Who am I really,
Beneath all the roles,
All the masks,
All the expectations,
All the rules?
Authenticity is the courage to be yourself,
Even when the world pushes you to conform.
It means speaking your truth,
Pursuing your passion,
And making choices that align with who you really are,
Not who you think you should be.
In a society that often rewards people-pleasing and conformity,
Being authentic takes strength.
But the more you embrace your true self,
The more confidence and inner peace you'll cultivate.
Authenticity fosters deeper relationships,
Greater purpose,
And long-term happiness.
And on a level of well-being,
I ask you,
If you are feeling exhausted,
Depressed,
Heavy,
Tired,
Please ask yourself whether you are living your authentic self.
Studies have shown that negative thinking and wearing masks takes a huge amount of our energy,
And so it's quite natural that we will feel exhausted at the end of a day,
If we've been acting a role that whole day.
So where are you holding back from being your true self is a big question I want to ask you today.
And what would you do differently if you weren't afraid of judgement?
So looking into the world of history,
Maya Angelou,
Of course,
Was one of those great women who simply refused to be silenced.
She used her personal hardships to fuel her poetry and activities,
And her activism,
In fact.
From early childhood trauma to being the first black woman to have a screenplay produced,
She never compromised her voice.
She was simply not to be silenced.
And her life reminds us that authenticity means embracing our stories,
Even,
Or in particular,
The painful ones.
As Steve Jobs famously said,
Your time is limited,
So don't waste it living someone else's life.
He rejected conventional paths,
He dropped out of college,
And he pursued his unique vision,
Which led to the creation of Apple.
His refusal to conform made him one of the greatest innovators of all time.
And then we have Frida Kahlo.
In a world that expected women to be demure and traditional,
Kahlo was bold and rebellious,
And unapologetically herself.
Her art depicted her very own raw emotions,
Pain,
And personal struggles,
Proving that true beauty lies in honesty.
Our studies show that people who embrace authenticity experience lower stress levels and greater overall happiness,
And that links in nicely to what I previously mentioned about energy levels.
And if we want to feel lighter and find it easier to go through life,
Being authentic is a big part of that.
The famous 2010 study by Dr.
Brene Brown found that vulnerability,
The willingness to be seen as we truly are,
Is the foundation of authentic living.
And the word authentic comes from the Greek authentikos,
Meaning original,
Genuine,
Principle.
In other words,
To be authentic is to be original,
And to be the original version of yourself.
So let's look at three areas then for today.
Number one,
Identify your core values for yourself,
If you're not clear on them already.
What matters most to you?
Write down your top five values and evaluate whether your actions align with them.
And I also recommend evaluating the values themselves.
Are they really your values,
Or have you adopted somebody else's values through your life?
Number two,
Express your truth.
Stop saying yes when you mean no,
Or saying no when really you mean yes.
Speak up when something doesn't sit right with you.
Authenticity means honesty,
And it can be beautifully communicated.
Number three,
Let go of perfectionism.
Being authentic doesn't mean being flawless.
Accepting your imperfections is part of being real,
And it's part of the human experience.
So just be you,
Whatever that looks like.
And we're going to end with a quote today by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
