ABC’s of Authenticity: Authority, Balance, and Creativity
Understanding who you are requires a level of self-awareness, accepting who you are requires a level of self-respect, and being who you are requires a level of self-care. The wellness and spirituality industries are thriving because there are many doors to the psyche, and yet, from my own experience, there is only one way to the soul: authenticity.
My personal philosophy on health and wellbeing centers on what I consider the ABCs of authenticity: Authority, Balance, and Creativity. The apex of spiritual development and self-discovery is to experience life from an integrated authentic self.
Authenticity is where self-empowerment dwells. It is a state of pure un-imagining.
Authenticity is where self-empowerment dwells. It is a state of pure un-imagining. Take a moment to consider what this means, because, as we know, imagination is a powerful creative tool. We use imagination to envision and inspire new expressions and experiences for ourselves; it is part of a creative process.
The famous Thoreau quote “Life isn’t about finding yourself; it’s about creating yourself. So, live the life you imagined”is a rally cry to put into action what you have only allowed yourself to imagine and play with in your mind.
Hiding your true nature creates tension and stress; hiding from yourself creates isolation and loneliness. Acceptance, on the other hand, holds the energy of respect and creates space for you to honor yourself and who you are. The same is true when you offer acceptance to someone else: You give them space to be themselves, or to at least figure out who they are by witnessing them with love and acceptance, rather than with projections and judgment.
Your authentic self exists already, just as all things in nature are authentic. A flower does not pretend to be something it is not—it is not jealous of a tree. We do not need to create our authentic selves, we create from our authentic selves. This is why it is important to have a creative outlet in your life that nurtures expression of any kind.
Being authentic doesn’t mean you’ve transcended living a physical reality or suddenly lack a personality with distinguishable likes and dislikes. Dishes will still need to be done, food prepared, and attention given to health and wellbeing. Relationships need to be nurtured.
Being authentic doesn’t mean you’ve evicted your ego either; it means you find your strength, courage, tenderness, love, humor, and a multitude of states of being from an internal source that has no ambition or need to dominate or marginalize your environment or your relationships. This lack of personal ambition is not to be misinterpreted as being passive—rather, an authentic person is fueled by passion, purpose, and presence.
Someone who is connected to their internal source of worth and value does not need to manage their self-esteem because they are busy living rather than doubting. And someone with a healthy self-esteem is able to explore and experience the world without fear of failure or without overly indulging in the concept of perfection.
Today’s child psychologists promote raising a child with more emphasis on exploring the world with curiosity and less about expectations and measures of success or constant declarations of praise. The experiences may still be personally challenging but, rather than feel like a test, they can feel like opportunities for growth and expansion.
