You won’t find authenticity without this…
What does it mean to live authentically?
So many of us are striving for authenticity in our lives. We deeply desire the space to step into our own skin, drop the facade and live in a way that is deeply fulfilling. And yet we often fall short.
Why do we fall short?
Because to live and work from a truly authentic place we have to really know who we are, and be willing to expose our truth to the world. We stop short of authenticity because its scary and feels hard. Because it requires great vulnerability to live an authentic life.
This link to authenticity and vulnerability became clear to me last week, through client sessions and on a cellular level in my own life.
Finalizing the details for my new program, I ran head on into my own resistance and difficulties with being vulnerable. The whole process was uncomfortable, putting my content out there to all of you, asking you to join me, hoping people would show up and be engaged. Hoping that those who did would find what I had to offer of some value. It was uncomfortable as hell. I desperately wanted to hand everything over to someone else to deal with it.
But I couldn’t. It was up to me to go through the journey I so often ask you to go through. It was time for me to go outside my comfort zone, even though it was hard work. It was time because I too desire to work and live authentically.
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to 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.” – Brene Brown
What I didn’t count on was the toll it would take on me. I closed out the first session on Tuesday night and then promptly taught four yoga classes on Wednesday, leaving me drained and feeling very raw. The next day I was a bit shocked to discover that I was completely spent and had little energy to keep pushing on. And so I was left with few options but to sit with it.
Sit with it I did.
What I found was spectacular clarity.
When I stopped trying to fix my vulnerability hangover or chase away the rawness – I was left with space.
Space to acknowledge what went well, what I was proud of and what didn’t go as well. And the difference was that in this space – I found I didn’t need to beat myself up for what didn’t go so well. In this space there was enough room for me to acknowledge what could be improved upon without worrying about the sky falling. And in the midst of this process I came up with some awesome solutions for how I can make the next rounds even better.
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” — Brené Brown
In this space, I realized that rather than being afraid of it, vulnerability is something you have to embrace if you want to live authentically.
So often we’re scared of really putting ourselves out there just to find we are standing all alone or worse everyone is laughing at us.
But pursuing vulnerability for the sake of authenticity will free you of this concern.
Which isn’t to say that you won’t face criticism, just that you won’t care as much when you do. And because vulnerability and authenticity are contagious and inspiring, you probably won’t be standing alone for long.
You crave more authenticity because intuitively you know it’s the path to owning and sharing your talents and gifts with the world.