Authenticity
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” -Brene Brown
When I first studied authenticity, I thought it was about allowing yourself to be different. This sounded easy for me because my circumstances hardly gave me a choice. When I read the quote, my perspective changed. I didn’t think that my choice to be vulnerable (what I consider open honesty) was me being authentic. I openly shared my story in the hope of to receive understanding of why I sat apart instead of joining in or why I couldn’t just follow the expectations that others held.
Even today, the practice of letting go of the lessons I was taught and doing what I must makes me feel like I stand out and conveys my sense of self, but I didn’t think that my conduct was practice towards authenticity. From my high school days, I was struggling physically and warding off the different ways I was being told I should be because I had to find a way that fit my needs and could work with my health. I found that the best way to get a bit of understanding or have people back off was by being honest and straight forward. I practiced being vulnerable to be true to myself and to not have to track the stories I told. I wanted to be respectful, be respected and appreciate everything in Life. It wasn’t easy being surrounded by classmates chatting about trends I couldn’t follow and adults with expectations that I wouldn’t accomplish. I had to concentrate on being me, accepting my circumstances and staying connected to what I held dear.
Photo By: Karl Anderson https://unsplash.com/@karlkiwi90
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