Over the next several months, I will be posting some guideposts taken from Brene Brown's book, The Gifts or Imperfection. I definitely suggest buying and reading the book for yourself but in the meantime- her guides are very helpful at jumpstarting your journey to live wholeheartedly.
The wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and thinking, No matter what gets done and ow much if left undone, I am enough. It's going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn't change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.
Cultivating Authenticity: Letting go of what people think
According to Brown, authenticity is a conscious choice or practice to be present, real, honest and to let your true self be seen- imperfections included.
In other words, letting go of who we think we're suppose to be and embracing who we are.
Being authentic isn't always easy to do especially when there's fear of vulnerability. Maybe you've learned through past experience that when you open yourself up, you run the risk being hurt by way of rejection or criticism- resulting in you throwing up a wall of protection.
Authenticity takes courage and some risk but at the end of the day, sacrificing your true self isn't worth it.
How to start practicing authenticity
1. Define your values – what is important to you and why? Do you value something because you were told to when you were young? Take other people and their expectations out of your head and reevaluate what your truth is.
2. Stop thinking your goal is acceptance.
3. Start believing that it's okay to be vulnerable- Often times we think about the risk associated with vulnerability rather than the benefit.
. Stay and act in a way that's true to yourself.
Remember that to live authentically means to practice daily. If you find yourself running intro trouble, counseling is a wonderful way to become more acquainted with your authentic self. In this world, sometimes we don't get enough opportunities to act in a vulnerable, open way for a variety of other reasons. Counseling however, can provide a safe space to practice wholehearted and authentic living.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming more authentic or open, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns in regards to this post or to begin counseling.
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