I have come to believe that this is the scariest darn word in the English language. It is also one of the most powerful.
In the context of what I do for a living, authenticity means being true to one’s nature or true to one’s self. If you just think about that for half a second, you realize that being “true” to anything requires that you know what that thing is in the first place.
So now, you might be starting to see what I mean by frightening. So many people in this world have no idea what the truth of their nature is. The places we are supposed to develop our understandings of our nature, family, school, religious and spiritual education, don’t always make the grade. Often, we emerge from these processes feeling more “processed” than enlightened. We may have templates for living but, like the one size fits all t-shirt, they don’t always fit.
Daily, I look upon the face of fear in my clients as they struggle to see who they are or accept what they see.
Fortunately, also daily, I see the strength and resilience emerge as my clients discover, create and accept their identities and paths.
In some ways, my job entails being a mirror for my clients as they speak the previously unspeakable truths of who they might be and what they might want for themselves. It can range from declaring the need for a career change, to speaking out in an unsatisfactory relationship, to naming abuse, to massive transformations in life paths. It is also my job to make that mirror as large and clear as I can. I have found that the more space I make for my clients to consider their options, the more likely they are to make choices that have a net benefit to their lives.
It is very scary. I’ve been there too so believe me, I know. But there is a certain peace about a life authentically lived and a reward to the risk of those moments of courage.
Authenticity. . .worth considering.