Have you thought about - or googled - how to live authentically in the past year?
Merriam-Webster announced "authentic" was the top word of 2023. Authentic, defined as "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character" and also "not false or imitation", saw a substantial increase in online searches last year. A high-volume lookup most years, this increase was driven by stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media.
I can recall moments in my adult life where I veered from my authentic self to fit in. One example that always stands out is buying and wearing a style of clothes and shoes to match the other women at my corporate job. I had never had a corporate job before and I thought I had to look a certain way to succeed and be accepted. This lasted about a year until I felt confident enough to recognize and honor that it just wasn’t me.
It’s easy to fall into imitation when you’re not clear on who you are and what’s important to you. For me, I started to really get in touch with my authentic self by getting curious about who I am when I’m at my best, and how good that makes me feel. From there, I identified values that became my roadmap to make purposeful choices that honor my authentic self. With a deeper understanding of what truly matters to me, I’m able to communicate and act in ways that make me feel the most like myself. That is what living authentically looks like for me.
At Chosen Directions, I help people navigate the question “what does living authentically look like for me”. By the end of the six-week workshop, everyone will have a unique roadmap to clearly communicate what's important to them, make purposeful choices and pursue goals that honor their authentic self.
Can you recall a time when you were not living authentically, and how you learned from it? I’d love to hear in the comments 💜
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