So, for my final blog post of the year, I am want to talk about being authentic. For those of you who know me, you know that I am very vocal, can get very excited about things and have a laugh that most people will recognize. That is me being authentic. Do any of you know someone that acts differently when their spouse or significant other is around?? If so, it is hard to know who they really are.
According to some experts, trust is built when you are authentic, empathetic, and perceived as competent. You can create the conditions for belonging when you are open and vulnerable as well as when you are empathetic toward others. When people interact more effectively with others, it tends to mitigate loneliness and pave the way toward belonging!
So how can we be authentic in our life? I was recently at an event and saw someone that I had only met one time before. She came up to me to say hi and said “I would really love to get to know you better” which was a great compliment in itself. But what she said next was the BEST THING EVER…. she said that one of the reasons that she wanted to get to know me better is that she thought I was a great person to connect with, but it was what people said about me when I wasn’t in the room that drew her to me. It is true that you want to be authentic so that people know who you are and that you are really authentic with everyone you meet.
Being authentic is being your true self. There are a few things that stick out to me when I consider who my authentic self is. I often ask myself what is truly important to me? I also always try to stay positive and try to find something good in every situation. Having a great support network that can help me to be a better person and be my true self….and I hope that I can give that back to them!
Some final thoughts on being authentic which might be my most important message in all of these blogs…. make sure you learn to be present. Dwelling on the past or trying to figure out what will be next doesn’t let you focus on now. Also, continually practice on speaking your truth so that you are authentic and don’t have to remember if you said something different before. And finally, this is something that you should do EVERY DAY! Being authentic takes courage and a lot of self-awareness but the reward is that you not only have a benefit to yourself but a benefit for everyone around you!
