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Living an authentic life takes courage. You are presented with opportunities to veer off your true path every single day, and one of the hardest things to do is say no to those temptations.
You are not a feather floating aimlessly in the wind. You have a purpose in this life, and you are in control of achieving your destiny. Do you know what it is? Are you living an authentic life right now, or are you allowing people or things to distract you from your true identity and purpose?
Your assignment today is twofold. First, spend some time writing in your journal this morning. Write honestly about your dreams and desires for your life. Do not be afraid to put down on paper what you really want to achieve. Try very hard not to limit yourself. Let the truth come to the surface. What do you feel destined to do? You do not need to worry at this point about how you will achieve success. Just keep writing with truth in your heart, and you will begin to rediscover your authentic self.
The next part of your assignment is to practice saying no. You have uncovered some of your dreams. Now, you need to stay on the right path to achieve those dreams. If a person asks you to get involved in something today that you do not feel good about or that you strongly believe will lead you away from your true destiny, say no. The more you unearth your authenticity, the easier it will be for you to respectfully decline the detours.
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When you zero in on authenticity, it is easy to become a bit self-absorbed. You are working very hard to discover your authentic self, which means you are concentrating on you. But truthfully, it’s not all about you.
If you want to live an authentic life, you must acknowledge the fact that you are connected to everyone and everything around you. You are not an island. You are part of humanity, and everything you do affects creation.
Think about the statement in this quote that says others are a reflection of the same Entity of which you are yourself a reflection. How do you know you are smart? Because someone outside of yourself has found value in your knowledge. How do you know you are funny? Because you see a smile reflected in a friend’s eyes. How do you know you have been disrespectful? Because you read the rejection on your victim’s face.
When you serve others, you are also serving yourself, because you are inseparable, just like drops of water in the ocean. Look at your reflection in a still pond. It is not you, but it is a part of you. You are similarly a reflection of the elements that surround you. If you serve others, their gratitude will be reflected back to you in various ways. If you reject those around you and disregard their own authenticity, you are setting in motion a ripple that will eventually come back and disrupt your own life.
Your assignment today is to serve others and observe your kinship with creation.
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Alphonse Karr was a French critic and novelist who lived in the 1800s. He was known for his fresh perspective and his biting sense of humor, and he brings up a very important point in this quote. Many of us have multiple personalities. We have a character that we exhibit to the world; a true character buried somewhere deep inside; and a third character that we think is the truth, but probably has no basis in reality.
Today your task is to honestly look at your three characters through journaling. How do you portray yourself to the world? Are you outwardly pleasant to others, but inside you are seething with jealousy or outrage? Do your outsides match your insides?
Next, write about the characteristics you assume are part of your general makeup. What do you think you’re like? Are you serious, trustworthy, emotional, or silly? Name about ten adjectives that you believe describe your character.
Compare your list of characteristics with your earlier journal entry. Do they match up, or is Alphonse Karr correct in his assessment? Do you feel sometimes as though you have multiple personalities: the person you show the world, the person you are inside, and the person you wish you were? What can you do to unify your character?
Today’s task is a difficult one, and it requires a large dose of honesty. The closer you can get to the truth, the further you will travel on your road to success.
