“Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland
Our roles in life don’t make us who we are. We tend to base our idea of who we are on everyday roles such as parents and spouse or even what we do in our jobs or what qualifications we have. We even go to the extent of changing our personas in different social situations & acting out of character because we think we have to. Realize that by acting in this way you are not being you at your deepest level. When you begin to use the following steps to become your authentic self you will begin to experience the benefits of a happier life.
Benefits of becoming your authentic self Include:
- Being happier
- Feeling of fulfilment
- Decision making becomes easier
- Awareness increases
- Truthful to self & others
- Doing things on your own terms
- Doing what you really want
- Doing what you love
- Satisfying your needs
- A sense of purpose
- Helping you prioritize how you live
- Being in alignment with goals & dreams
Research suggests that authentic people are well-liked, and they benefit from social support and the many other positive outcomes associated with enjoying close relationships with others.
Your Authentic Self in 3 Easy Steps
Step 1
Choosing your values are what is important to you in life.
Knowing your values helps you understand what drives you—what you enjoy, what inspires you, and what you’d like more of. By building a life and lifestyle around our values we create a life that is more satisfying and meaningful to us.
Values change over time, and deepen as you understand yourself better.
Finally, the values list below is only to give you some ideas of values. We are each unique, so there will undoubtedly be words that are missing from this list, and different words that sum up your value better. If so, feel free to add those words to the list below. There are hundreds of
Sample Values List
- Accomplishment
- Authenticity
- Balance
- Beauty
- Boldness
- Calm
- Community
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Contribution
- Courage
- Creativity
- Determination
- Excellence
- Freedom
- Friendship
- Family
- Fun
- Growth
- Happiness
- Harmony
- Health
- Honesty
- Independence
- Integrity
- Intuition
- Joy
- Kindness
- Learning
- Listening
- Love
- Loyalty
- Optimism
- Orderliness
- Passion
- Patience
- Peace
- Productivity
- Respect
- Self-Esteem
- Service
- Simplicity
- Spirituality
- Strength
- Thankfulness
- Tradition
- Trust
- Understanding
- Wisdom
Step 2
Choose up to 10 words that resonate with you and make you feel good. These are the values you want to live in your everyday life. Write them down or create a poster so you can see them every day.
So as an example, one of my values is family: I have children, I have always spent time with and meet regularly with my extended family too, and I am also close with my cousins.
Action Plan: Ensure my children’s needs are met and that they are getting my attention by having fun time, activities together, showing my love & being there for them. As for other family members I stay in contact on a regular basis.
For me I feel this is necessary because this is who I am. I would otherwise feel frustrated and guilty if I didn’t do this. However, things may be different for you.
Step 3
Make a list of 5 to 10 activities you love to do and 5 goals you want to achieve. Look at the work you do & look at the relationships you have. Do your values you have chosen currently align with what you want to do? If not make the necessary changes. Make a plan for how you will include your activities into your life & make steps for achieving your goals. Look out for values that are sabotaging your time and energy & live for the ones that bring out your authenticity making you happy and likely to achieve your goals. Values are not set in stone so change they may change over time.
That’s it! You will find you no longer have to fill many versions of yourself only the best one. Because by following your values you live with integrity, truth and being a happier you. Don’t let your role in life define who you are, take action to become your authentic self.
