It seems like it would be the simplest thing in the world. Children know how to do it. Babies know how to do it. Even my dog knows how to do it. For we adults, it’s not so simple.
It’s not so easy being ourselves. And really, how can that be?
It does seem like it should be the simplest thing in the world. It is certainly the floodgate to our fulfillment in this lifetime, to our truest and deepest happiness.
And yet, as we hit late childhood and adolescence we begin to move away from what is quintessentially our truest expression of ourselves. We compromise and adjust, in sometimes minute and microscopic ways. But those tiny shifts away from authenticity build up, like the lining of a soot covered chimney stack. The more build up, the less air can pass through (in our cases, the less life can pass through); enough build up and we light the house on fire–we end up with health issues and relationship and work issues.
It takes courage to be ourselves. It takes courage to stop and breath and take stock of where we are in our lives–are we being true to our unique signature in this lifetime?
When we do take stock, we tend to focus on the big things–am I in the right career, the right relationship, the right neighborhood? But it’s not in these sweeping broad stroked pieces of our lives that we get lost, it’s in the little things. It’s in the day to day, moment to moment things.
Are we listening to our feelings? Are we speaking our truths? Are we paying attention to what draws us near in a way that overflows our hearts and what pushes us away?
Are we present to our highest selves?
It does take courage to show up authentically. It takes enormous courage even to just show up to yourself authentically; to have a real conversation with yourself, not a judgemental, self bashing conversation, but a real, interactive and respectful one–to speak your truth to yourself, to see the truth as it is right in this moment, knowing that it can and most certainly will evolve and shift as you do.
You’re the map maker. You’re mapping as you go. There is no preset road ahead. You can’t cheat and follow someone else’s map, they’re in a different place, on a different journey.
I wish you courage. I wish you wonder, for the life that’s lived authentically is one that’s rich and textured and stunning in all of its aspects. And that, for you, is my wish!
© Rhégina Sinozich 2013
