Who are you really? Your authenticity as a key to a fulfilled life.
Did you know that the first coaching program I ever designed when I started my coaching business twelve years ago was called “AUTHENTICALLY ALIVE!”?! I still love that name 😉
For me, authenticity has always held the key to a fulfilled life.
A life that returns to you as much (or more) as you put in, because it is built with a deep self-understanding at its core.
Here is what I have come to see:
Inauthenticity is the biggest energy drainer and one of the biggest misleaders in people’s lives.
When you are not clear on what is authentic to you, there is simply no way to either DISCOVER or ATTRACT what is meant for you…
… not the partner
… not the career-path
… not the unique ways in which you can keep yourself healthy and vibrant.
I see so many people who either …
–> are oblivious to their own essence and have never taken the time –or asked for support– to find out who they really are, what they love, what brings them joy, how they can apply themselves.
or …
–> are straight up fighting themselves because they believe that who they really are isn’t good enough.
Both of these scenarios lead to burnout because, at the end of the day, you can never run away from yourself, you can never escape your own authentic, true-to-you desires, wishes, hopes, and dreams.
Let me ask you:
When was the last time, you really checked in with yourself?
When was the last time, you took inventory of your life, your choices, your dreams?
When was the last time, you were really honest about all of this?
The truth is that this whole conversation about your own authenticity isn’t an easy one. It sounds like it should be obvious, but let me tell you, for most people it isn’t.
Personally, I can tell you that when my life got really busy with kids, work, marriage… all the things of mid-life, my connection to my own authenticity –even though I had been SO CLEAR on it before I stepped into this busy era– has been taxed and challenged tremendously.
It takes awareness, effort, and a willingness to be vulnerable to stay connected to the evolving versions of you. And yes, there are phases when you feel lost and uncertain about your own authenticity. There are absolutely times when you misstep and you walk down a path just to realize that… nahhh, that’s not it.
But the difference is that when you start to honor and value your own authenticity, you KNOW when things aren’t aligned and you can course-correct.
Today, I want to offer you 3 questions to help you along if you feel a little uncertain and lost about who you are:
1. How are you currently engaging in your life that doesn’t feel authentic to you?
What kinds of things are you doing in your life that don’t feel true to who you are, your talents, your interests? Is there a misalignment in your life? This could be a specific thing or subject or even people, but it could also simply be the way you show up, your reactions and behavior, the energy you bring. Ponder this for a little bit and see what comes up.
2. Has what is authentic to you changed or shifted as you have evolved?
I am a huge believer and advocate for us to allow ourselves to be multifaceted and therefore, to have multifaceted experiences. Not every season in your life will be marked with the same desires, the same personal expressions, or the same values. That means that you will have to check in with yourself periodically to make sure that you are in alignment with your own evolution… with your own authenticity. What was authentic to you 10 years ago? 5 years ago? 1 year ago? Are those things still YOU today?
3. Close your eyes for a moment and ask yourself “What am I longing for now? What part of me is longing for attention and expression?”
If you were my private client, I would suggest you journal about these questions and explore them in writing. Writing slows down your mind and helps you deepen in a way that thought doesn’t allow you to do. Don’t try to control what you write, just let it flow straight out of your heart without interference from your mind and see what happens.
You know everything you need to know about yourself… it’s just a matter of revealing it, accepting it, and integrating it.
I believe in you.
If you’d like, let me know what came up for you. I love hearing from you.
With love,
Caroline
