The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines authenticity as being true to one’s own personality, spirit or character. I call this “owning” who you are and living from your core – being fully and completely aware and accepting of who you are.
To me, authenticity is the most truthful place within myself. It is me making a choice every day to breathe the essence of who I am into my family, my career and my relationships.
Embracing the power of your authentic self requires honesty. It is digging deep, going down to the bone and marrow of your core and unveiling your true self. Your genuine self may be covered in debris, loneliness, rejection, anger, self-pity, abandonment, pain, other people’s values and a multitude of facades you’ve hidden behind. Remember, you are not your job, your title, your significant other, what you wear or the car you drive. Digging deep may unveil that you’ve been relying on external things to validate your worth and your existence. You may discover that you’ve been trying to measure up to everybody’s expectations of you. Once you dig deep and are honest with yourself, this will usher you into awareness. Self- awareness awakens us from our sleep and slumber. It helps us recognize self-sabotaging patterns and life no longer “just happens” to us. We become increasingly aware of the areas in our lives that we need to gingerly and compassionately work on so that we can live authentically.
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AFIYA Magazine looks to enhance the awareness and knowledge of wellness issues important to African-American women while providing a platform for us to grow, expand, and develop within our personal and professional lives.