We talk a lot about authenticity.
Be yourself.
Show up authentically.
Bring your whole self.
It sounds great.
But what does it actually mean to be authentic?🤷🏻♀️
Because being yourself is pretty easy when everyone approves of who you are. 😆
The real test might be what happens when they don't.
When your opinion is different.
When your choice disappoints someone.
When saying no might change how someone sees you(!).
When speaking up could make things uncomfortable(!!).
When being honest means someone might not like what you have to say(!!!).
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be liked. Or accepted. Or included.
We are human after all.
What are we willing to trade for it? A part of ourselves for someone else's approval?
We edit ourselves in small ways...
• We agree when we don't.
• We stay quiet even though we have something to say.
• We say yes when we mean no.
• We soften our opinion.
• We make ourselves a little more acceptable to the people around us.
And sometimes we are simply adapting.
At what point does adapting become abandoning yourself? Giving away your power?
Because genuine authenticity comes with risk.
If I show you who I really am...
You might not approve. 😳
You might disagree with me, be disappointed in me, or even reject me.
And that doesn't feel great.
That's the part of authenticity we don't really talk about.
Being authentic isn't just having the freedom to be yourself.
It's being willing to risk someone else's disapproval in order to BE yourself(!).
This is at the core of the work I/we do.
More important than "Will they accept me?" is "Will I accept myself if they don't?"
That's what it really takes to live authentically.
The courage to face rejection.
And enough self-acceptance to remain yourself.
Authentically yours,
❤️ Heidi