Life Unmasked: It’s OK to be you!

by AnaLeyah North

 So what does ‘Living Authentically’ really mean?  Most likely everyone will have a different twist on it, but for me it means:

• Be authentic in my thinking
• Know my mind and speak my truth
• Live from my heart
• Follow my intuition

Let's explore these topics in more detail:

Be authentic in my thinking:

It all begins with our thoughts.  The big word for me here is EXCUSES.  How often do I make excuses to cover myself from the truth?  Taking responsibility for our thoughts, actions and deeds is part of authenticity; it is the first place to start.

I am a master of making up stories in my head and I know that my negative mind is stronger than my positive mind so I am constantly questioning my negative thoughts. My favorite question to ask myself is ‘Is this true?’  Most of the time the answer is “No”; then I have the opportunity to change the script that is playing out in my head.

Know my mind and speak my truth:

I first need to know my mind before I can speak my truth; it is a two-step process.  The first step is be honest with yourself.  How many times has someone asked “How are you?” and you automatically say “I’m fine” or “I’m good” when you really aren’t fine or good?  I know I used to do it a lot.  Now I make every effort to be honest with my answer.  It doesn’t mean that I get into the ‘poor me’ mode (more negative thinking), but I can say, “I’m feeling okay but I’ve had better days”. 

Speaking our truth is also about setting clear boundaries; saying ‘No” gracefully and giving options for the other person to implement.  You may recall Cynthia Kyriazis sharing on this in Lesson #1 of Creating Balance 101. If you haven’t had a chance, go to www.balancetosucceed.com to sign up for a free lesson.

Live from my heart:

So what does living from the heart mean? Follow your passion, follow your dreams, follow your bliss. Check in and see, feel or sense what is right FOR YOU. If you have a dream it has to come to you because it is part of your life path while you are here on Earth. It is important to follow this guidance and to go for it!

We can also live from the heart with small things, like connecting with someone you are thinking about, or taking a class. It can be an "inner knowing" that calls you to action. Trust it and act on it!

Following my intuition:

We all have the ability to be intuitive and to know, feel or sense what is right for us.  Again, it takes practice.  Some people get their intuition from dreams, others get an inner ‘knowing’ and feel compelled to act on it; your intuition may come from an entirely different place. The key for me has been to learn to TRUST my inner guidance.  When I trust it (and act accordingly), I find that it supports me to be more intuitive. 

So what are the results of being authentic? Overall, I have found that when I am coming from the place of authenticity the magic happens!  

Here is more food for thought on being authentic:

It is important to do what is right for YOU; ultimately it will be right for the people around you as well. This seems to be an universal law, even though it may be hard to believe.  Try it and see for yourself!

When we are in your authentic place, the movement of spirit will come through with grace flow and ease.

Authentic energy is expansive; it creates more and more...and more.

W​hen we are creating from an authentic place who we really are shows up.  People know and sense this and it affects the outcome.