Learn Your Flow

Are you living your life confined by other people?

Do you find yourself behaving in a certain way around others because that is what you believe they need?

We are all guilty of changing our behaviour to feel accepted by others even though it can be exhausting and restricting. The pressure we put ourselves under, in order to fit in can be difficult to deal with but now is the time to change. Give yourself permission to live authentically so that you can be free of other people’s expectations and improve your self-worth and self-esteem.

But what does living authentically mean?

There are many definitions set out by philosophers, psychologists, and scholars. But the consensus is that living authentically is staying true to your values, personality and spirit. This means that you remain true to yourself regardless of external factors. In order to find your true authentic self, you have to build awareness around thoughts, values, emotions, beliefs, needs, wishes, and desires. It also means getting to the point where you can accept these ideals.  

Living authentically may not be a walk in the park as it may mean going against the norm. But there are many benefits to living authentically. Some of the benefits include:

• Opportunities may arise that otherwise would not be there.
• You may feel more confident and open with a greater self-esteem.
• Authenticity can increase trust and respect within yourself and from others.
• You can have a greater sense of integrity.
• Authenticity can also decrease stress levels as you are not pretending to be someone you are not.

How to Live Authentically

• Living In Tune With Your Values – Values are defined as principles or beliefs that are the most important to the individual or organisation. If you can identify your core values, this can help you set goals that are more streamline with these values. This will in turn help you to live authentically.

• Living With Integrity – Integrity is defined as having strong moral principles and being honest. By living with integrity, you take responsibility for both your actions and mistakes which helps you to live authentically.

• Improving Self-Confidence – Building self-confidence can be difficult. However, to live authentically it is important to stand your ground and stay true who you are regardless of external pressures. Improving self-confidence, self-worth and self-esteem can all help support you in those situations where your authenticity is being challenged.

• Managing Your Emotions – One element of living authentically is having a deeper understanding of our core emotions. These emotions can affect your behaviour and by managing your emotions you can learn how to treat others.

• Always Accept Yourself – Accepting your self includes exploring your strengths and weaknesses and accepting that they are a part of who you are. Acceptance is a big part of living authentically.

• Be Honest – Communicating honestly involves saying what you mean. Even when taking into consideration other people’s feelings it is still important to be honest when living authentically. 

• Explore Your Passions – By exploring your passions and interests you are finding out what brings you joy. This is an important part of living authentically as you can set personal goals that help to energise you by doing things that you love.

• Set Healthy Boundaries – Once you have established your values, passions, and interests it is easier to say ‘no’ to things that will bring you down or take you further away from living authentically. Setting healthy boundaries will help you protect your authenticity.

• Acknowledge And Embrace Imperfection – When living authentically it is important to acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes. How you view these mistakes can help you to grow especially when you are in a situation where you are out of your comfort zone.

• Listen To Your Intuition – When you listen to your inner voice it is almost like having your own internal compass. You will find that your inner voice will reflect what is important to you helping you to live authentically.

Living in tune with your true authentic self can be difficult. When working to align your life in order to become more authentic it is useful to journal about each of the aspects above. This will help you to identify what is important to you so that can incorporate all of these elements into your life. Once you have identified what you need to change you can begin to set goals that are more authentic. If you are unsure how to set a goal that works stay tuned for our posts on ‘Smart Goals’ and ‘The Wheel of Life’ which will be released on Learn Your Flow’s blog.