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One of my core values is authenticity. I admire it in others and aim for it in my own life. I am drawn to those who boldly and unashamedly go about their lives as themselves. 

I’ve spent too many years trying to cover up the real me – hopeful of acceptance with a different mask on. And now, officially in my ‘middle years’, I’m embracing the gift of authenticity and being me regardless of what the world thinks.

At first, authentic living doesn’t feel easy. It’s a bit scary. Will I be accepted? Will I be liked? 

But after the first few hurdles of fear and trepidation have passed, authenticity actually simplifies my life. And in the long run, it makes my life much easier.

It’s easier to just be myself. {insert long exhale}

In fact, life flows at a different pace and quality when I’m myself. There’s no one else made for this role, so of course, it makes sense that it’s easier to be me and no one else.

And if you are feeling overwhelmed by the stress of life I believe that focusing on being authentic will help. Being authentic will make what might be loud and frantic, soft and peaceful. It will infuse simplicity where complexity has been. And you’ll finally begin to understand your place in the world.

How to live more authentically

Start at the beginning

Sometimes authenticity is hard because we’ve lost ourselves along the way. We don’t really know who we are.

Go back to who you used to be. What did you love as a child, what lit you up? What did you want to be when you grew up? All of these things help you come back to yourself.

Can you experiment with painting again? Or take piano lessons? What if you followed the curiosity you had as a child, and found a love of nature, or cooking? 

Stop apologizing for who you are

How many times have you said sorry for being the way you are. “Sorry I’ve been so loud!”, or “Sorry, I just can’t be around people right now”. Maybe you frequently apologize for your perceived short givings. “Sorry I’m just not much of a baker”, or “I’m so sorry but just not good at that”.

Stop. Just stop.

The world doesn’t need your apologies. It just needs YOU. The real, authentic, brash, loud, quiet, introverted, tattooed, heavy-metal loving YOU. Whoever you are, we need you.

So don’t apologize anymore for what you are not. Just offer what you are.

Follow your curiosity

Elizabeth Gilbert is a curiosity advocate. She writes about how finding our curiosity is different from finding our passion. It’s explorative and it’s more forgiving. You don’t have to be ‘all in’ with curiosity. Rather, you can just take a few little steps at a time. 

And I think following our curiosity means we are more likely to find ourselves. Our true, authentic selves. Passion seeking can often lead to finding a more contrived, or ‘PC’ version of ourselves – in my personal experience/opinion 😁

But how does all this help simplify my life?

When you can just be you, giving up all other facades (and this can take practice and years), life gets a glossy, clear ‘feeling’ to it. Things that were once murky or unclear gain clarity. And everything else falls away.

Things that aren’t essential become irrelevant and unwanted

The on-trend ‘stuff’ that everyone else is buying suddenly becomes uninteresting. The Netflix show everyone is bingeing is not even on your radar. And nope, you don’t have to serve cauliflower rice if you hate cauliflower! 

Becoming who you really are can take time. It’s taken me years. And then more years to get really comfortable with who I am.

Simplifying and slowing down has all been a part of this process.

And now, looking back, I know that so much of my busyness was because of a struggle to accept and connect with my authentic self. 

I’m eternally grateful for that moment, 6 years ago when I lay on my bed, pregnant and exhausted, and tapping into my laptoop ‘how to slow down’ (or something similar!). 

I’m grateful that I took the role of Alice that night and tumbled down the rabbit hole, discovering things like slow living and minimalism. 

Because it helped me discover a version of myself that I like the most so far. Me without all the excess and layers of consumerism. And I quite like her. 

What about you?

What is it that you need to discover? Do you feel a yearning to be more authentic in your own life? To live more as YOU, and less as what the world thinks you should be.

My friend Allison at Compass My Life, has a brand new course designed specifically to help you uncover your most authentic self.

Finding You

I’ve been lucky enough to have a sneak peak… and guys, this self discovery course is flipping awesome. I wouldn’t share it with you if it wasn’t. Finding You is jam packed with strategies, exercises, tools, and mindset shifts to help you – well, find the real you!

Examples of some of the modules;

• Goodbye Analysis Paralysis & Imposter Syndrome
• Unearthing Your Authentic Self
• Establishing Your Core Values
• The Enneagram For Self Discovery (With an Enneagram Coach)
• Creating a Joy List⁠
• and so much more cool stuff!

If you want to find out more about the course click the link below. And let me know if you have any questions.