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I sit by the window and wonder,
what my life has been like
I see the clouds go by
and think of all the moments gone by…
I feel the wind on my face
and
am reminded of what today holds for me
And I see myself drifting off
Wondering, what tomorrow will be…
What is life?
A collection of moments strung together by our own thoughts and emotions and knowingly or unknowingly, we are defining ourselves in each of these moments.
Our entire life is a pursuit of “finding ourselves” isn’t it? As if, we are objects that get lost and our purpose is to be found.
But by whom?
The truth is that we are never lost. We feel so when our definition of ourselves isn’t in alignment with how we are showing up in our external world.
When we are not in touch with our own authenticity and we are not one with our own selves.
This sense of oneness comes from accepting ourselves wholeheartedly for who we are—our flaws and virtues intact. It comes from accepting that indeed we are flawed!
“Truly being authentic is knowing what matters to you, on the deepest level of who you are and commiting to always act from that authentic center.” ~ Richie Nixon
This oneness comes from allowing ourselves to experience the richness of each of our emotions fully and from embracing the fact that while life was busy throwing sh*t at us, we did the very best that we could to hold ourselves together.
“By choosing to be our most authentic and loving self, we leave a trail of magic everywhere we go.” ~ Emmanuel
Being authentic is about being open and honest about who we are in this moment of time. It’s about taking responsibility for everything—the good, great, bad, and the horrible. It’s about forgiving ourselves and others for the sake of forgiveness and not for inflating our egos.
Being authentic is about being.
So how do you become authentic? How do you create an alignment between the internal and the external?
You do that by:
1. Accepting that we are flawed because there is no “ideal” human being and perfection as we all know, is a mythical creature that human beings created to feel in control of the uncontrollable.
2. Accepting that others are flawed too. There are no perfect people and relationships.
3. Not chasing goals and ideals. While it’s good and even imperative to have something to strive toward; an extreme result orientation only breeds anxiety, discontent, fear, and anger. When we allow ourselves to flow with the process of creation, magic happens! Our perspective expands and we allow ourselves to experience life and relationships with an open heart.
4. Accepting and respecting each and every emotion that we have—especially when we’re down and under. We often end up criticizing and judging ourselves when we are at our most vulnerable; whereas that’s the time when we need our own compassion for ourselves the most! It’s always love, kindness, and gentleness that lifts our broken spirit—always.
5. Setting boundaries. We must always be mindful of whom and what we allow into our internal space. The more we fill our space with what gives us discontent and discomfort, the more misaligned we will continue to feel within ourselves.
6. Letting go and forgiving. These aren’t just words. They are the essence of life. The more we hold onto the grudges, the wrongdoings, and the unfairness of people and life, the heavier we feel and before we realize, the weight becomes unbearable and breaks us down.
Authenticity comes from taking off our masks and robes that we put on for the world outside and embrace the nakedness of our being.
It comes from choosing to live by the choices that feel closer to home.
It comes from embracing the essence of our being—wholly and completely.
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.” ~Brené Brown
~
AUTHOR: DAMINI GROVER
IMAGE: GIULIAJROSA/INSTAGRAM
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