What does it mean to be authentic?
Authenticity is when what’s inside you, is what comes out of you. I don’t mean your guts and innards – that would be a bit weird! I mean your deepest thoughts, feelings, desires and truth. It’s akin to honesty. It’s about not hiding, not wearing a mask, not being something that you are not – and most importantly, truly being all that you ARE.
To be happy, we must be authentic and express ourselves in fullness to ourselves and others. Because…
Holding your truth inside is painful
Can you think of something you’ve held inside?
- Maybe you wanted to tell someone you liked them, but didn’t
- Maybe someone hurt you but you didn’t tell them
- Maybe you heart wants to drastically change careers but you don’t dare
There’s a few reasons why we don’t express certain things:
- We may face negative judgement from others who don’t agree with us or our choices
- We can be scared to be vulnerable in case someone rejects us
- We have been taught to hide certain ‘negative’ emotions like hurt, fear or anger
The crux of a lot of these things is that they can bring us shame. The shame of feeling like you are wrong, unworthy or weak. Shame is a debilitating emotion – if you’re interested in learning more about shame, check out the work of the wonderful author Brené Brown.
So how does it feel to YOU when you hold something inside?
For me it’s like a big heavy rock sat inside my being. And if I hold it for a long time it’s like a bubbling reaction that’s either eating me up inside, or ready to explode. None of that sounds like a source of happiness does it?!
Expressing our truth sets us free
Let it out.
Express your truth appropriately from a place of honesty, respect and love for yourself and others.
True authenticity is about expression from the heart, not so much the head. It’s not about ego driven anger, if anger is what you’re feeling. It’s not about trying to get a reaction, or change someone else in any way. It’s about a gentle strength that comes from knowing you are truly worthy to express yourself, and you accept yourself fully.
I’m not saying this easy or something that happens overnight. But when we find the courage to do it, little by little we remove the rocks that are weighing us down and we experience space, lightness, freedom and happiness in their place.
When you live from this place, can you imagine how wonderful life can become?
When you are living authentically, you send a message to your own soul of self-love and acceptance. The soul shines under these conditions! And what’s even better is that you also give other people permission to be authentic too. You make it safe for them to express themselves and in turn experience their own happiness as a result. What a wonderful gift!
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
About the Author: Pinky Jangra creates blogs, videos and cartoons about all things spiritual, psychological and emotional, teaching what people didn’t get taught in school – inner wellness. Her experience, knowledge and inspiration come from everyday life, 10 years of personal growth and her work and study in behavioural and biological science. To see more of Pinky’s work, visit pinkyandherbrain.com