Living Authentically



“I release all false projections of myself and embrace my true spirit”

Photo of Person Wearing Sneaker and Ballet Shoe
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This morning’s affirmation that has shaped today’s post was a great reminder to live my life authentically. It seems as if I have lived so many different lives, often for the service of someone other than myself. Being in the military for over a decade will do that to you, I guess. Having to conform to a life that feels a bit off can feel like you are wearing someone else’s shoes that are two sizes too small. Sure, the shoes can do the job, but think about how much you will be missing out by being preoccupied with how much pain and discomfort the shoes are causing you to endure.

 Living your life in a way that prevents you from living authentically can zap the drive, determination, and passion from your life. Then you are left with an empty shell that you eventually convince yourself that you were born with this void in an attempt at soothing a cognitive dissonance that grows like the hunger for imagination we once possessed as children. When we stop being who we were meant to be, we lose a valuable aspect of ourselves. We are not on this planet to go to work 8 hours a day, make dinner, then do it all over again the next day.

So many conflicts, both internal and external, erupt due to the separation of your authentic self and the false projections you present to the world. If we keep stifling who we really are, this suppression can prevent us from contribution our voices and actually being heard in society. When we don’t see people like our authentic selves in positions of power, we internalize the feeling of not being heard. But, how can we expect to be heard if we are not authentic with ourselves and others?

Man Wearing Mask Sitting Near Window Panel
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How can we expect to recognize and address the feelings of sadness and fear that are planted in us when we live unauthentically? What about the reduction in your self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem that blossomed out of the fear and sadness? When we tether ourselves to a hamster wheel, we can’t expect to live a life that goes further than the false constructs we have accepted as true.

Location: Durango, CO, USA

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