Living Authentically

What does living authentically mean?

I have based this website on inspired, authentic living, but I may not have explained what that means, to me.

Authentic living means that I live a life of HONESTY.

I am being honest to myself about my past and my current behavior and patterns. I am being honest to others – telling the truth with the purest of intentions. It is a life without lying, cheating, or manipulating…whether in my own actions or those around me. It is separating myself from the negativity and damage that not telling the truth creates. Lying creates shame and guilt so living authentically is creating a life that doesn’t involve actions that create those feelings.

Authentic living means that I listen to my INSTINCT.

I connect to that side of myself through jogging and meditation. For me, when I jog, I connect to the deepest part of myself. Once I’ve connected, I process, I heal and I create change within myself and what I don’t like around me. Listening to my instinct usually involves the ocean and journaling. Both create a connection to self.

Authentic living means that I live with INTEGRITY.

I am the same person to your face as I am behind your back. I speak with love, honesty, and truth. I honor what I say. I honor what I do. I honor who I am and who I was before. It means that I surround myself with other people who live with integrity and honesty. I am passionate about this because I have not always had that in my past and it corrodes my spirit. I want to be surrounded with what I demand from myself.

Authentic living means I seek to UNDERSTAND.

I want to understand who I am, where I came from and why I made certain choices in my life. It’s taking the harder, more difficult road of facing past choices and mistakes and then it’s understanding them and correcting them. This can be a painful process and sometimes I don’t like what I see, but it’s through understanding that I create change. Change means there is growth so I seek to learn the truth about my actions so I can change them in the future.

Authentic living means I honor mySELF.

I honor my emotions. If I am feeling angry or scared, I don’t want to ignore it. I want to feel it, validate it and then deal with it. I honor my promises to myself. If I can’t or don’t honor them I am truthful about why. I also apply this to others. It may not be the easy choice, but it is the right choice. It is being the person I am versus the person you want me to be. I can’t do it all, and be it all for everyone, so I must do and be for myself first. Through that, I can offer far more to others.

Authentic living means I am GRATEFUL.

I can’t imagine living without gratitude. I may not have much money, expensive clothes or a new car, but I am so grateful for the things I do have: the ocean, the hiking trails, my dear friends, my family, my students, my sweet dog, my writing, my voice, my health and all the opportunities and gifts I have received. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and feel blessed on a daily basis.

Authentic living means at the end of the day I can look in the mirror and know that I was the best Tina I could be. I told the truth to myself and to others and if I have amends, I will make those amends. I know that I am living a loving, truth-filled life with integrity and the truest of intentions. If my true intention is to live authentically, then mistakes, errors in judgment and other life struggles are opportunities to learn and grow…

If you can’t look in the mirror today because you know you are not living authentically – that some part of your life is not genuine then ask yourself why. Why would you live a life that creates negative consequences and feelings when you have another option? Start making the changes today to be who you were meant to be…create the best life for yourself, you deserve it!

With a smile,

Tina