Being authentic sometimes makes you stand out. But always in a good way. Embrace it. Photo: Pexels
For a while now, I have been trying to be true to myself, accept myself the way I am while at the same time striving towards becoming a little better day by day, and live a life that makes me happy.
I don’t claim to always having been successful on this journey. But what I can say is that I constantly look for answers, for ways that help me on this road. And once in a while I find something that makes me wonder: Is this something that will make me a little happier?
I also always try to see everything I write about from a spiritual perspective. Every answer I seek, in its core, tries to answer these two fundamental questions. Who am I (as a soul) and what am I doing on this earth?
I try to understand whether a life of struggle can also be spiritual (the answer is: It can. As in times of difficulty we grow more than in any other situation.) However, I have come to the conclusion that every effort we bring to try to be a little happier is absolutely worth it and is also what we are supposed to do.
Today, authenticity is what I want to reflect upon, as it is something we need to live a life in tune with our essence. And something we need to be happy in the long run. Let me explain what makes me think that.
Authenticity is being truly yourself
It’s a podcast run by a Spanish actress and journalist, that not only entertains me a lot, but that also makes me reflect on what is being said, that first made me realize how important it is to be authentic. I have grown to admire them (especially the female host, Ana Milán is her name). And I have wondered what it is that makes me look up to her so much.
I have come to the clear conclusion that she is just simply so authentic! And for several reasons, that makes her so attractive, so magnetic, so inspiring and so entertaining. It makes sense to me that the two of them (but especially her) have received such a big fan base in a short amount of time.
It’s being authentic that shows the world that you are not only unique, but that you like that uniqueness about yourself. You like who you are, even if that means that you have certain strong characteristics or opinions that differ to the ones from the general public.
More so, you stand to what you say and you are not afraid of being different. You back yourself up and mean what you say and think. And you are not a people-pleaser and you don’t feel threatened by other people’s opposition, or their opposing beliefs. Instead, you are resistant and don’t back down. Essentially, you are your own best friend.
Authenticity is listening to your inner guide
Being authentic means that you trust in what you have learned. You listen to what you need, you go where your intuition guides you and believe what your own mind and heart tells you to be true.
Other people’s opinions and judgements can not easily mold and influence the stances you have on certain issues. You know what you want because you listen to your body, your mind, your heart. Authenticity means you know who you are because you know what you lived, what experiences you made and what you learned from them.
It’s not letting anyone dictate who you should be
An authentic person is truly their own boss. Even if you have strange hobbies, a strange style, music-taste or uncommon opinions, it doesn’t matter, because you like it. And so, it doesn’t affect you when others don’t agree or even look down on you.
I would even go so far to claim that others respect you more for who you are and what you do when they sense that you totally stand behind yourself. You don’t depend on other’s points-of-views and adapt yourself to them, because you know there is nothing wrong with being who you are, liking what you like and doing what you do.
You are immune to what others think of you. And you also don’t need anyone else’s attention, love or approval to feel fulfilled and happy.
You are you, you are unique, and you stand by yourself. Your authenticity makes you truly happy and you radiate that from within to the outside. I imagine that that is the kind of person a soul would feel most at ease and ecstatic to live with, and a body to live in.
Authenticity makes you unique
Through your authenticity, you build a legacy for yourself. One that persists. I noticed that there were a few questionable things Ana said in her podcast that nobody would ever assess as being rude, or anything like that.
That is because long-term, she has established such a strong image of who she is, of what she stands for, that everybody knows she is a person with integrity and that this statement was clearly a joke. Nobody would get mad at her for saying something rather questionable. That’s an example. I’m sure you understand what I’m saying.
Being authentic means you know who you are as a person, and you like that about yourself. And you are able to communicate all of that to the outside world. People will know what makes you you. Because you’re doing a good job at painting an accurate picture of yourself. And you support every piece of yourself, which is what makes people respect you.
If you’re already there, if you can already call yourself authentic, congratulations. I already admire you for that.
If not, like me, try to become an authentic person! There is nothing better you can do for yourself (and for your self-esteem, by the way. In case I wasn’t able to make that clear until now). In that case, congratulations on wanting to work on that. You’re already on the right path! Let me know what makes you authentic. I’d love to know!
Love, Valentina <3
Written by Valentina – spiritual writer & founder of Valentina’s Diary
P.S. This is my 100th blog post 🙂 Thank you for sticking around and supporting my work. I truly appreciate the fact I can call you a reader of mine!
