What is Authenticity, and Why Does It Matter?

Authenticity is about embracing who we are and the values that drive us by understanding our strengths and weaknesses and being honest with ourselves and others.?

It also means understanding how external influences affect us and how we make decisions based on these.? To be authentic, we must be aligned with our values.

Today we will explore eight steps to practising authenticity in your everyday life.

1 - Exploring Your Strengths:?

The first step towards practising authenticity is exploring your strengths.?

What do you excel at??

What do you enjoy doing??

What would be a good fit for your personality type??

Understanding what makes you unique can help you better understand yourself, which is essential for finding who you are.

It is often tempting to attempt pleasing other people around us or live by rules and standards imposed by outside sources.

However, leading a true-authenticity life requires looking within ourselves and searching for our own reality.

In this era of overwhelming external influences and expectations, it is difficult to stay true to yourself.?Authenticity involves pleasing no one but yourself and living by the standards and rules you create to follow as part of your self-discovery and growth process.

And let me tell you something; sometimes, this can be a lonely road to take. Sticking to your values might piss some people off and distance you from certain groups of people, and once you realise this, you might doubt, but im here to tell you, do not.? Standing on your own is one of the most honourable things you can do, for yourself and no one else, and here is the good news, you can always follow the herd, but what you really want to know is where you can stand on your own or not.

2 - Speaking Honestly: Speaking honestly to yourself and others is also key when it comes to practising authenticity.

This means being able to express yourself without fear of judgement or criticism from other people. It also means giving honest feedback without worrying about hurting someone’s feelings or creating tension in a relationship.

It is about being honest with oneself, understanding one's needs, respecting inner values and rejecting outside trends that may not resonate with you. Practising authenticity can lead to more meaningful relationships, more fulfilling experiences in life, and an overall sense of freedom through embracing one's uniqueness.

This journey of self-discovery can be both demanding and rewarding, ultimately allowing an individual to recognise the values and principles they find important and how they want to live their life accordingly, regardless of external pressures.

Living with authenticity is an ongoing practice in which we are constantly challenged to stay true to ourselves over our desire to please others.?And one tip i can give you in here, trust yourself and trust that the decisions you make are the correct ones, one you start the path of self-discovery, they will be good and bands, but nothing happens by coincidence.?

Nothing is more beautiful than being honest with yourself, so embrace that and trust that whatever happens to you is bringing you whenever you need to go. In another chapter, we will discuss intuition and how to deal with uncertainty, so stay tuned for this.

3 - Aligning Decisions with Values: When making decisions, it’s important to consider the impact it will have on both yourself and others. This means taking into account not only your values but also those of the people around you before making big decisions.?

For example, if a job offer does not align with your values, it may be best to look for another opportunity instead of forcing yourself into something that does not feel right but we always must consider the circumstances around you.

Inauthentic people are motivated by their selfish agenda and often do whatever it takes to get recognition and attention.?

They may be motivated by the need to feed their ego, leading them to view others as inferior feeling themselves better. Sometimes, these people will go to extremes in their behaviour, doing whatever they can to get their desired admiration.

This often results in demanding others or using doggy tactics to achieve dominance. Because they cannot gain true gratification from meaningful accomplishments or relationships, they possess an insatiable appetite for the validation of others.?

Unfortunately, these individuals usually leave a path of hurt and destruction in their wake as they seek recognition without considering the consequences.

And i talk by personal experience because I have done that and archive a lot just for recognition; however, no matter what to you, if you have a funny agenda, it will come back to you.

I always say something. You might be able to lie to others, and they might believe you, but you can not lie to yourself. What an awful thing to do to yourself, isn't it? And for others…

Authenticity and respect for others should be prioritised over seeking recognition to establish meaningful relationships with those around them you.

And the best party, once you are truthful to yourself, the wins are even better.?

Remember, always be honest, and trust in yourself.

4 - Acknowledging Both External and Internal Influences:?

We all have external influences that shape who we are—societal norms, family expectations, cultural influences—but it’s important to acknowledge our own internal thoughts as well.?

Ask yourself questions like “What do I really want out of this situation?” or “How would I feel if I made this decision?” Doing so helps bring clarity and focus when making decisions that require both internal reflections as well as external acknowledgement of societal pressures or cultural expectations.

Authenticity is essential to developing a strong sense of self-confidence and leadership skills. By embracing who they truly are, individuals gain self-awareness and insight into their own motivations and goals. This is precious in building leadership skills and further developing emotional intelligence. Wirch will be talking soon as well.

When you are true to yourself without fear, you increase your self-awareness, confidence and capacity to take risks to develop yourself further. Im telling you, once you speak from the core, nobody can touch you, i tell my clients all the time. They come to situations where they don't know what to do, and i say… it's okay to be uncertain, is ok to don't know what to do, accept it, be honest and say it. That's how we gain power the one you only have.

5 - Noticing Your Emotions:?

This is the key! Our emotions play an important role in helping us practice authenticity because they let us know how we really feel about certain situations or decisions we make in life.?

Paying attention to how we feel when faced with certain choices can help us make better decisions that reflect our true selves rather than our impulses or desires at the moment.

This encourages individuals to step out of the box without worrying about negative judgement from others and allows them to become more aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Embracing one's authentic self allows for better decision-making, leading to improved confidence in their ability to lead without fear or hesitation.

With a clear vision of one's personal truth, it also becomes possible to take risks without the fragility and create meaningful change without hesitation.

We are going to talk in the next episodes about human energy, we are the way that we feel, and when it comes to yourself, you have gotta have the right vibrations, in other words, you have gotta be your best friend, and speak yourself the same way you speak to be your bestie, be there for yourself any time you need it, and more importantly be aware when you need it, and only by understanding your feelings will you be able to beware.

Embracing an authentic self allows individuals to express themselves with conviction and clarity while achieving true confidence— this is a quality that successful leaders worldwide possess.

6 - Respecting Yourself and Others:?

Respecting ourselves means recognising our value as human beings regardless of what society says about us—whether it’s positive or negative feedback from others about our appearance or actions, etc.,?

What other people think, it has no bearing on who we truly are deep down inside;?

it just needs to be accepted without judgment or criticism from ourselves or anyone else involved in the situation.?

“Oh i think you're not good at this, this doesn't suit you… im sorry, this person is better than you…” we all have heard this, great that is your opinion, that is what you think, but everyone has an opinion, and the one that truly matters is the one i have about myself. So with all my respect, i am not going to take it personally.

And remember this word, respect!?

Respecting others is just as important, everyone deserves kindness regardless of their beliefs or opinions on certain topics; this goes hand-in-hand with honesty when speaking with one another!

And if you are in a difficult situation, there is nothing better than maintaining yourself calm and confident by demonstrating the respect that you require. I am talking about a difficult situation, not in danger, if you are in danger you might want to run or call the police. Lol,

The point is, We are naturally attracted to people who exude confidence, which is why authenticity is so inspiring. Leathers are those with the courage to embrace their genuine self without fear.

7 - Facing Your Fears and Taking Action Towards Authenticity:?

One of the best steps towards practising authenticity is facing your fears head-on and taking action towards becoming more authentically you!

This could mean anything from pursuing activities that make you uncomfortable, such as public speaking engagements, to simply trying something new - even if it doesn't turn out perfectly - so that you can learn more about yourself along the way!??

You gotta embrace the unknowing! Fear happens when there is a lack of security, when we face something that we can not control, and then all of a sudden, we are in the worst case; we are trying to be prepared and guess what, thinking that way, let me tell you are getting prepared for the worst.

When you don't know, you can speak as well same as the bad, so why not choose the good? I am not saying this myself, quoting Einstein.?

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.”?

I do always say, let the magic happen; it's ok the be prepared, we must be prepared, but we are also meant to be open to change and to learn from it. I must say there is an entire episode where we are going to dive into With Fear And Negative Thinking, stay tuned for that.

8 - Building Social Support Systems:?

This is the last step towards becoming authigenic, Building social support systems as it is essential because having people around us who share similar values can help reinforce them within ourselves while also providing guidance during difficult times in life when things seem overwhelming or confusing.?

Having a strong support system can also help provide perspective when faced with tough choices by hearing different points of view from trusted sources!?

Authenticity is a strong magnet for confidence. When people sense that someone is operating from an honest, genuine perspective that resonates with them, they feel a sense of security and safety. This translates into the firm stability and self-assurance of the leader, which inspires others to follow.

This capacity for inspiring confidence in others through sheer authenticity makes individuals with their authentic selves natural leaders. Indeed, those who have embraced their authentic selves stand as beacons of strength to those around them as they spread their creative leadership abilities based on trustworthiness into their surrounding networks.

The benefits are further magnified as one's impact increases with a growing following, inspiring other courageous souls to be true to themselves.

Wrapping up: Practicing authenticity takes time but can be incredibly rewarding once achieved – especially if done through small steps such as those outlined above!? Not only will authentically living lead to improved relationships with ourselves and others, but also greater confidence and satisfaction.?

Ultimately, authentic living leads down a path of self-discovery where we discover our own true potential – which has many benefits, both personal and professional!

I am on a mission to help people with their lives. Regardless of your role or phase in life, we all struggle to deal with our personal and professional life.?

I have a few more blogs coming up where I share my thoughts on topics related to self-identity and personal branding, giving you a better understanding of your role in the world and the part you play in it.?

When we know what to do and why we’re doing it, we not only perform better in business, we perform better in life. This higher level of understanding is the key to living in peace with yourself and others.

If you want to learn more about me and our coaching, please check out our website at?www.journeybeginscoaching.com