Choosing to Live an Authentic Life

I’ve been thinking about authentic living quite a bit lately.  So many people walk around like zombies, completely cut off from themselves and their inner spark and purpose.  Is it that they don’t know how to connect to their spark, their authentic self?  Is it that they are afraid to? Or are they afraid that they might fail…or even succeed? Maybe some combination of these? These are the reasons I see when I work with clients, but there are probably others as well.

What does living inauthentically look like?  Well, here are a few examples:

• Denying a skill, gift, passion or part of your being because you’re afraid others will mock it or not accept it
• Staying in a job that is causing physical toll and health issues (our physical bodies are great at letting us know when something is out of alignment with our authentic being)
• Remaining in a relationship that is devoid of joy and love…and where the people  involved are unwilling to work back toward that state
• Choosing to follow a path (career, relationship, etc.) because it is what is expected of you, instead of being what your soul sings out for

To me, living authentically means stripping down to the core of who you are; discovering and connecting to your inner spark, integrity and source; and then bringing that forward consistently and consciously into your day-to-day living.

I’m not going to lie.  It takes work to do this.  For me, it means being able to answer the following questions and then acting accordingly:

• What personas did I adopt to protect or mask aspects of myself that I was afraid to let others see?  Do these personas help or hinder me and my personal development?  What would happen if I released them?  And, what would be left when I do (this one is a scary question for many people!)?
• Who am I really?  What is unique about myself? What gifts do I bring to this world that, when combined together, create a force to be reckoned with?
• What is my purpose?  What is it that I am meant to do with my life?
• What is important to me? What attributes and characteristics are so ingrained in my being that if I didn’t express them, I would be out of integrity with myself?
• What “rules” or boundaries that I have either set for myself or accepted by others are not necessary for me to live an authentic life…and may in fact be holding me back from doing so?

Next month, I am moving temporarily to Guatemala to further connect with shamanic practices and Mayan ruins while also starting to write my next book.  My soul has been singing out for this change for the last few months, and I’m trusting in it completely. I know that if I didn’t do this, I would be out of integrity with myself, and I choose to live an authentic life.  How are you living authentically?  What is holding you back if you aren’t?