Are You Living an Authentic Life? |
Authenticity is about being open and honest with ourselves.
Being authentic is about becoming the self you could be.
Being true to ourselves is about unlearning who we think we should be.
Most of us have, at some time or another, been advised just to be ourselves. Perhaps it was before a job interview or a first date. Maybe it is advice we ourselves have given to others. It is probably the best advice a person can ever get. At the same time, it is also the worst.
The best because authenticity really is the key to a more fulfilling life. The research clearly shows that more authentic people are happier and more satisfied in their lives. But the worst because the phrase itself, “to be yourself,” is a flimsy expression that fails to convey the complexity of what it means to lead an authentic life. It is always going to be a problem trying to articulate a nuanced philosophical notion in a pithy sentence. It confuses as much as it enlightens.
But it is a phrase that is deeply entrenched in........