Your authentic self – do you feel that you have a unique contribution to make or a greater task to do for your family, society, community or the world?
“My aim in life is that I want to do the right thing in the right way. The right way is the one which brings benefit to myself and others and which allows space for myself and others to grow. It’s a challenge to allow myself to genuinely see the needs of others and at the same time to not be influenced by others’ perceptions and ways of thinking.”
Look around you and you’ll see the need to live with a purpose, a goal or meaning. There is such a need in today’s world that we have to cut through everything that holds us back. We can’t wait for others to act first, we have to be the ones to take the first step. There is a saying: Whatever I do, seeing me others will follow. You will be surprised how many others you have an influence over, good or bad.
To know and make our unique and genuine contribution we need to first be in touch with our ‘authentic self.’ Our authentic self is one that is in a state of peace, contentment and fulfilment. So the first step may actual be one for the self, otherwise even though we may be doing something for others deep down we are only filling our own desire to feel needed or useful rather than simply contributing.
In authenticity:
– My thoughts and my feelings are genuine.
– My intentions and motives are genuine.
Genuine:
When I am genuine (reflecting my essential character) I am able to draw on my own inner resources.
To be genuine:
– My mind and heart need to be free of falsehood, for this become aware of any discrepancies between your thoughts, feelings, actions, intentions and motives and be committed to ending all internal conflict and to being at peace with oneself and life.
“When internal conflict ends the experience is of absolute and total peace. Not the peace that is just the absence of sound due to being free from distractions, rather the peace in which there is absolute and total inner contentment. Not contentment from having achieved the car, the house, the job, etc., rather contentment from feeling totally satisfied, in harmony with the world around me and stable and still. Such peace as this fills one with inner strength and power, allowing one to be able to step back and adopt an effective vision and attitude to life. Now one is able to genuinely contribute to and make a difference to the world. One automatically has an effect on others – my state of contentment, shared with them, enables them to become more peaceful themselves. When we have such a state of peace and see its effect on those around us we naturally develop a sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and self-respect.”
Watch out for these traps:
– If my self-esteem turns into arrogance or ego then I am no longer making a contribution to others. Safety lies in coupling self-esteem with humility, with the ability to say; ‘okay, you’re right and I’m wrong.’ This combination means I don’t that I have to prove myself or be stubborn about anything.
– Guard against allowing someone take away your inner peace and contentment. If I do I have effectively handed over my power to them and said; ‘okay, you are greater and bigger than me and so it is for you to say if and when I can experience peace and contentment.’
– The moment you choose to be different you are on your own, to begin with anyway. You need to maintain confidence in you and in what you are doing, utilising the power of your thoughts, feelings and spirituality as then you can do anything.
– If you make a mistake be honest. Honesty is an essential ingredient in interactions with others, and then even if I make a mistake people will accommodate me. Having learnt the lesson, let go and move on.
I am not being authentic if:
– I put others down/I am trying to control others.
– I am self-centered, so caught up in myself and my own needs that I have become oblivious to the needs of others.
– I am competing with or criticizing others, now creativity and newness has turned into arrogance.
– I am copying others and suppressing myself. Be inspired by and learn from others rather than copying.
“Realizing the value of myself I become of value to those around me. My life now has a meaning, a purpose and is making a difference to others. As such my life feels valuable and precious, like a fruit tree I am able to offer fruit, shade and comfort to others.”
