My
friend Mike Robbins has written a new and incredibly powerful book
called Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken: The Power of Authenticity.
Mike's book is full of wisdom about how to live an authentic life.
I hope you enjoy this article that provides the five principles for
being your authentic self.
Authenticity is
about enjoying a new sense of freedom to be who we really are--ourselves,
natural and without a mask in our relationships, our work, and our
life. It takes courage, commitment, and depth to:
Look within
ourselves
Tell the whole
truth (even when we don't want to)
Be vulnerable
Admit, own,
and share our true thoughts, feelings, desires, insecurities, passions,
embarrassment, dreams, and more.
However, being
open and real about all of these things (and more) is what it means
to be authentic in life.
Five Principles for Being Your Authentic Self
In order to utilize
the power of authenticity in your life as a way to enhance your relationships,
increase your fulfillment, and empower yourself, here are five key
principles:
Know Yourself
- Make a commitment to your own personal growth. Discover more of
who you are. And, seek out and allow the support, honest feedback,
and guidance of others.
Transform
Your Fear - There's nothing wrong with having fear, it's the resistance
and denial of fear that is the real problem. When you admit, own,
feel, and express your fear, you have the ability to move through
it, transform it, and utilize its power in a positive way. Taking
action in the face of fear is courageous and empowering.
Express Yourself
- Have the courage to speak your truth boldly. Deal with conflicts
directly. Express your emotions fully. Be vulnerable and real about
what you think and how you feel. While on the surface you may worry
that this will be seen as "weak," in actuality expressing
yourself completely gives you access to real freedom and power.
Be Bold -
Live, speak, and act with courage, passion, and truth - even if
it's difficult or scary. Go for what you want in your work and in
your life. And get back up when you fall down, which you will.
Celebrate
Who You Are - Appreciate and honor who you are, what you do, and
the gifts and talents that you have. Celebrating yourself is not
about being arrogant. It's an awareness of your own power and it's
the key to self confidence, fulfillment, and authenticity.
Being your authentic
self is not for the faint of heart, but once you're willing to truly
engage and do the work to become more real - your life, your work,
and your relationships will be more exciting, meaningful, and fulfilling!
Mike Robbins
is a best-selling author. To learn more about his new book, Be Yourself,
Everyone Else is Already Taken (Hardcover, Wiley), click on this link:
http://www.BeYourselfBook.com
"We need
to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not
serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with
authenticity."
~Barbara De Angelis
"A leader
will find it difficult to articulate a coherent vision unless it expresses
his core values, his basic identity...one must first embark on the
formidable journey of self-discovery in order to create a vision with
authentic soul."
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