When you are authentic, people know. At least most people know when you are NOT being authentic.
Unauthentic people are very superficial and have difficulty making deep connections with other people.
Too many people lack authenticity because they either don’t like who they are (or who they think they are) or because they don’t really know who they are. Many don’t know how to be true to themselves. Others don’t want to be, because they feel it’s safer or more desirable to follow others instead of being themselves.
During much of my childhood and early adult life, I also had difficulty being myself. I wanted to be liked and fit in, as well as having a strong fear of rejection. So I often tried to be someone I wasn’t. I felt I needed to conform to what other people thought I should be like. I lost my identity and finally had to go through the difficult process of finding myself.
It’s taken some time, but I’ve finally gotten better at understanding myself and acting accordingly. I feel much more comfortable going against the crowd. Other benefits came from it as well.
Being more authentic, I am able to see/understand other people much better and also sense their level of authenticity more clearly. I have started distancing myself from non-authentic people and forming closer relationships with authentic people. Being more comfortable with myself, I also feel more inner peace.
What do you do to be more authentic?
