Photo by Edmond Dantès
Want to be your true self or more authentic in more situations? You can! Here are some excellent and valuable tips for being more true every day.
Being authentic means acting in ways that show your true self and feelings. Rather than showing people only a particular side of yourself, you express your whole self genuinely.
However, many struggles with figuring out who they are, expressing themselves openly, and knowing what they want from life. These are big questions, but they do not have to be overwhelming. There are actionable, concrete ways to start finding and more fully expressing your authentic self.
How Humanity Lost Their Authenticity
People are constantly balancing inner and outer aspects of themselves to better fit in, to become more successful, or to find love. They are driven to find “their place” in society and want to be respected for who they are and what they have to contribute. Many people are propelled even further, desiring to know and live their purpose, find deeper meaning in their lives, and feel the fulfillment that comes with becoming more authentic.
But at the same time, humanity lives in a society that values superficiality, strives for perfection, and defines success as by the dollars in their bank account and not by how well they live their values daily. So how can you be authentic despite the messages that try to convince you to be someone else?
Bringing Back One’s Authenticity
To reclaim your authenticity, you need to discover your “Authentic Self”—the self that prioritizes living according to your values, pursuing your purpose, and fighting for the causes you care about. For most of humanity, their Authentic Self is buried deep in their unconscious, which remains hard to identify and let out.
Here are some tips to help you express and find your authentic self.
Tip #1. Take Personal Inventory. Learn to observe yourself like a fly on the wall. Watch yourself as you live in the present moment, observing how your “Adaptive Self” behaves, what it believes, how it reacts under pressure, and how it responds to challenges. Practice noticing which of these responses feel authentic and which ones feel inauthentic. By identifying which responses are adaptive versus original, you can catch the falseness and see the glimmers of truth underneath.
Tip #2. Be Present. Being present with yourself, no matter what is happening around you, is essential to authenticity. Suppose you are constantly distracted by your mental chatter or reacting to external situations if you are unaware of your state of being—practice pausing to check in with yourself regularly and breathe throughout the day. With awareness, you will find ways to express yourself fully and take actions that align with the real you.
Tip #3. Build Your Social Support System. You need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people not serving you if you want to rediscover yourself and live your life authentically. Make a checklist of your social circle once in a while and surround yourself with supportive individuals who lift you. They can inspire you to shine as your true self.
Tip #4. Speak your truth assertively. Improving how you communicate can significantly impact living your authentic life. What you want to say often needs to be clarified in how you say it. Practicing an assertive communication style ensures honest, open conversation while still considering the needs of others. This encourages balanced discussions in which both individuals have a chance to speak.
Tip #5. Take daily action towards authenticity. Authenticity can feel like an abstract, big concept. But when you look at it, it comes down to your day-to-day activities. Because it is those seemingly little moments, your decisions, actions, and the things you say that make up who you are. Actualizing an authentic life begins with intentional daily planning.
Tip #6. Take a step back to gain perspective. When you find yourself in a ditch, it does make sense to apply all your brainpower to come up with a solution. But at times, that approach can get you nowhere and lead to a cycle of overthinking. You should take some time off, a day or a week, to do something fun. Taking a break helps you listen to your heart and gut, and the answers flow naturally. A big help on this is The Abba Vision. Abba exists to help individuals experience who they are and who they are meant to be. Check out Abba’s website and explore the ladder of consciousness and the tree of life through the ABBA Tradition.
Are you ready to get real?
Remember who you are at your deepest core; the individual that dances behind closed doors is what the world needs.
It takes courage to learn how to be authentic. And when you do, you set yourself free and build a life that brings you meaning and joy. It might not happen overnight, but you can get there.