4 Life-changing Motivations to Live Authentically
1. Tap into your own true power
Soul or the True Self has the power to choose the experiences it desires. As soul is pure and perfect, it also chooses experiences that are in divine order. The phrases “as above, so below” and “thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” come to mind. However, when we are in a state of sleep, or lacking in awareness or consciousness, (and this is possible even when we are physically awake) we usually refer more to our False Self rather than our True Self. The center of our False Self is the Ego, which creates human-based rather than spirit-based constructs for the sake of self-protection and survival.
When we do this, we give up the power to consciously choose our own experiences or attract those that actually serve us. Instead, we go about our lives on autopilot, with a sense of not having any control of our lives and circumstances. Governments all around the world as well as many religious institutions relish in these levels of unawareness because, they provide low hanging fruit, ripe for the picking, in the form of gullible masses that are completely ignorant of their own power and ability.
Knowledge is power, but awareness is exponential power. Wake up. Enlighten yourself. Enlighten others.
2. Build a Solid Self-esteem
Once you become aware of the nature of your authentic self — that you are indestructible, that you have the power of I AM in you, that you are made of light and love, capable beyond measure — once you root yourself firmly in that knowledge and begin to live out the experiences of your own choosing, you find that you not only have a better handle on your circumstances, but also on yourself. That means that you no longer worry about what other people think of you, do to you or say about you. You also no longer doubt your own capabilities, or judge yourself too harshly when you encounter failure. You are empowered with a solid self-esteem for the bad days and the tough phases of life. You are armed with the tools for success — confidence, positivism and fortitude.
3. Gain Freedom to Express Yourself
A little over a year ago, I struggled with the decision to cut my hair for months. I’d been grooming it for eight years and it had finally grown an impressive length that I was happy with. However, it had also grown thin and discolored from the perming agents I was using to straighten it whereas before, it had been a thick, lustrous afro of African hair. I began wondering why I was struggling to keep up with the western ideals of beauty that were never meant for my hair, and this awakening, marked a major milestone in my quest for authenticity. The other, as you may have read before, was my transition from a career in Accounting to writing.
When you can and do choose your own experiences, you are far happier with them, and thus, happier with yourself. You can dress in your own, unique style and be comfortable in your own skin. You get to go only to the places you choose without succumbing to any undue pressure to say yes to those insistent friends. You can choose to start a new career or hold opinions that are completely out of the box without conforming to societal expectations — it is liberating. You have a new found freedom to express yourself just as you are, without fear of judgement, criticism or ostracization.
Walking into the crowd was like sinking into a stew — you became an ingredient, you took on a certain flavor.
― Margaret Atwood
4. Create A Life Full Of Substance
Crowds are the death of creativity and authenticity. Far too many people have their voices drowned in the cackling noises of the masses. Ironically, this is happening in quiet rooms all over the world, the silence stirred only by the incessant buzz of chat notifications, or the lack of it thereof. Superficiality seeks out superficiality. Fake people attract even faker people. They flock together as birds of a feather do, have pretentious conversations and post photos of their superficial lives on Instagram (with a #blessed for good measure).
Despite the golden treasures that may be lying underneath, until they drop the facades and get real, phony people make for insufferable company. An authentic person cannot stand to be around phony people because, phony people are people not worth knowing — and you want to be a person worth knowing. You want to and should be a person with substance.
If you want to create a life of substance, you must strive to find your authentic voice before you can create something truly great. Many artists struggle with this part of the artistic process, and I myself can attest to this fact.
The voice of beauty speaks softly; it creeps only into the most fully awakened souls.
― Friedrich Nietzsche
