Self Understanding and Authenticity

Becoming Authentic Through Self Understanding 

Self understanding will help you become authentic and remain authentic in the large majority of your actions. And you want to be authentic. According to Dr. David Simon, co-founder of the Chopra Center:

Authenticity is an alignment between your beliefs, your desires and your choices in the world.

Desires change throughout the course of a life, but agreement between ideals, aspirations and deeds is key to a life of peace, happiness and success. When you act in ways unlikely to fulfill your genuine desires, you experience the inner friction of a life out of alignment.

Desires that are in alignment with core beliefs generate powerful actions. Like a wave that draws from the depths of the ocean, actions connected to your authentic self are more likely to manifest your intentions.

In his book The Ten Commitments, Dr. Simon goes on to explain:

Choices that are in alignment with what we know, feel and believe to be true generate a natural sense of ease and confidence. When we allow distractions to intervene between our core values and the choices we make in the world, our energy is depleted. These distractions become false idols that block access to the divine.

The two underlining principles of Dr. Simon's thinking on authenticity are straight-forward:

Being authentic means assuming the responsibility for writing the story of your life.

Committing to authenticity means taking responsibility for what you choose to do and what you choose not to do.

Chapter two of his book The Ten Commitments is devoted to the concept of "A Commitment to Authenticity" and is well worth reading. Dr.Simon's book The Ten Commitments: Translating Good Intentions into Great Choices is available at Amazon. 

What are you doing to find your own authenticity? 

Taking time for self reflection and developing a deeper sense of your own self understanding is a great way to develop greater authenticity. 

Another way is to follow the Project You Life Rules, which on found on the Project You website. 

After all, it's time to start living the life you imagined.



This article is partially excerpted from the book Project You: Living A Determined Life which is available in paperback and Kindle eBook formats at Amazon.