“I think, ‘What’s the most genuine performance you can give today?’ Forget the ‘best’—every night can’t be fireworks. I’d rather be real. The most successful moments happen when the music and the people move you.” ~ Dessa, rapper and writer
“The one characteristic of authentic power that most people overlook is humbleness. It is important for many reasons. A humble person walks in a friendly world. He or she sees friends everywhere he or she looks, wherever he or she goes, whomever he or she meets. His or her perception goes beyond the shell of appearance and into essence.” ~ Gary Zukav
“Authenticity is everything! You have to wake up every day and look in the mirror, and you want to be proud of the person who’s looking back at you. And you can only do that if you’re being honest with yourself and being a person of high character. You have an opportunity every single day to write that story of your life.” ~ Aaron Rodgers
“Authenticity means erasing the gap between what you firmly believe inside and what you reveal to the outside world.” ~ Adam Grant
Best is a concept designed to keep you trapped on a dizzying merry-go-round that goes nowhere. So why do we continue to ride? Because we’ve been taught that only thing that matters is the brass ring, which is conveniently right in front of us, pulling all our focus so we don’t notice that we never get any closer and that the ride is on a circular track.
I want you to know the exhilaration and freedom of stopping that ride, jumping on a real horse, and heading out to your own horizon. Step off your quest for best and step into authenticity.
I once heard the essayist David Sedaris say he wasn’t good at “est” questions, you know, funniest, weirdest, etc. When people ask him those types of questions he just doesn’t know what to say. I think that’s because they are so narrow. Best collapse all possibilities into one narrow choice at the top; as if it being narrow is an indication of being better.
Know Yourself
“I find more of an authenticity in people who are a little strange – so I really like characters who are just the tiniest bit weird. I find enormous comfort in that – someone who’s kind of normal just doesn’t feel as true.” ~ Missi Pyle
Instead I want you to know the freedom of being authentic. Instead of trying to fit into a best mold, break out and be whoever you are. Show us your faults, your quirks, and your essence.
Authentic people know who they are. They have taken the time to clear away the external voices that hitch rides in our heads and have identified their own true voice.
Get to know who you are, what you feel, and what your motivations are. When you hear that voice in your head pause and ask yourself if that’s yours or someone else’s. If the voice is critical or fearful, it might belong to someone else. This process of questioning will help you begin to recognize your inner guidance.
Accept Yourself
“People are always judging you based on where you’re from, where you went to school, how you look, how you talk. But at the end of the day, you’re going to have to look into the mirror and accept who you are. It’s all about being authentic.” ~ Andre Carson
Authentic people have accepted themselves in total. They are able to look at their life and see the good and the not so good.
They also accept responsibility. Authenticity and victimhood cannot coexist. Taking responsibility for your choices, your actions, and your outcomes frees you to make a new decision and create a new life.
Be Yourself
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” ~
Mohandas Gandhi
Align your thoughts, words, and actions. By knowing your motivations and listening to your inner voice you can craft a life that is truly yours. What lights you up? What is your calling?
Committing to your authenticity allows you to make choices that lead you off the beaten path and into a hidden magical garden.
By being fully you, you gift us with your originality, your unique stamp on life, and your spirit. Your gift is essential and we would all be poorer if you decided to not be fully and openly all of who you are.
“Just be your authentic self because there’s nothing sexier or more beautiful than that.” ~ Carol Leifer
Blessings,
Donna
by Heart Light Digital
