What does it mean to be authentic?

Authenticity means having a keen awareness of who you are and what you stand for, and expressing yourself honestly and consistently to the world.

On a deeper level, authenticity illuminates the path forward to live the life you want. When you get clear on what matters to you, you begin to understand how to make decisions that align with your identity and core values. You begin to build a life that brings you meaning and joy. In doing so, you inspire those around you to do the same.

Here are 5 ways to become a more authentic person in 2023.

Be present

The ability to be present with yourself, no matter what is going on around you, is essential to authenticity. If you are always distracted by your mental chatter or reacting to external situations, you’re not aware of your own state of being.
Practice taking a pause to breathe and check in with yourself regularly throughout the day. This will strengthen your mindfulness and help you notice when you are being inauthentic.

With awareness, you will find opportunities to express yourself more fully and take actions that feel more in line with the real you.

Don’t Strive to be Somebody Else

One of the main reasons why people are not always honest is because they are constantly trying to be somebody else. Having to always impress someone might make you exaggerate on the life you really have and this should not be the case. The only person who needs to genuinely like you, is YOU!

Support your self-esteem. Every person has valid thoughts and ideas and is gifted and intelligent in unique ways. It is hard to act in a way that is genuine to your personality if you doubt yourself or lack confidence in yourself.  People who lack self-esteem often try to act like people they perceive to be confident or preen and act as if they're overly confident. This is a key sign of inauthenticity.

Speak your truth

Improving how you communicate can have a big impact on living your authentic life.  

Authenticity can feel like a big, abstract concept. But when you really look at it, it comes down to your day-to-day actions. Because it’s those seemingly small moments, the things you say, your decisions, your actions, that add up to who you are.

Accept yourself for who you are. Accepting yourself often requires a mental attitude adjustment. Try to be slower to criticize yourself or see yourself as inferior to others. Focus on accepting and appreciating who you are as a unique individual. This will lead to authentic behaviours in line with your personality.

Do what you love as a living

You’ve heard the old saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” In many ways, this saying is true. If you’re passionate about what you do and you’re putting your focus and energy into it, you won’t feel like you’re working. Yet many people use this ideology as an excuse. Why put time and effort into something if you don’t love it?

Your job shouldn’t just be a source of income. If you don’t enjoy what you do, you’ll end up missing out on your life.  A job that you love gives you extra motivation to meet your goals, and when you do, the sense of accomplishment can be outstanding. You will carry and radiate that success wherever you go, helping yourself in other aspects of your life.

Meditation

It’s a simple and quick way to reduce stress. Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, bringing with it inner peace. You can easily learn to practice meditation so you can do it whenever you need it most.

Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that will benefit your emotional wellbeing and in turn help you become your most authentic self.