Socrates said, "True wisdom comes to each of us when
we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around
us." No truer words were ever spoken.
Have you ever been in a
situation where you were being pulled in different directions? That is what
happens when you are trying to make everyone around you happy for their
benefit. Essentially, true wisdom in life only comes to us when we are able to
step outside of our own comfort zones. We think we have all the answers, we
think we can help everyone around us, we think we are able to make other people
happy. The hard truth is you cannot live an authentic life unless you yourself
are being authentic in your everyday living.
Being authentic means that
you are willing to accept yourself for who you are. When you are authentic, you
are also able to see all viewpoints of a situation and look at it objectively - regardless of who the
situation involves, or in what regard it is related. In other words, you cannot concurrently be
the judge, jury, witness and defendant. You must simply be you. To live an
authentic lifestyle, you must be able to step outside of yourself and view your
life for what it is. Know that no matter how you may "feel" about
another individual, you must first love and honor yourself. Remember, you are
as unique as each strand of hair on your head. You cannot control what others may
do around you, but you must lead your own life in the best way you can. You
achieve that by living authentically and not worrying about what someone thinks
of you, or whether or not you need to impress anyone.
Accept who you are right
this moment. Maybe you are not a rocket genius, but you might be an exceptional
airline stewardess. Perhaps you are not a professor, but you may be an
exquisite chef in your own home. By no means should you ever feel as if you are
less than someone. In fact, you may be better at what you do in your own field
than others in theirs. Living an authentic life means you are accepting of your
gifts, are willing to explore new ideas, and do not care about whether or not
you are "good enough" for something. The truth is that you are as
good as you believe you can be. Once you accept that reality, you can begin
your journey of self realization and personal growth.
Choosing to live an authentic life means you are willing to be
true to yourself. You no longer have to rely on others to make you happy. You
no longer have to rely on feedback to feel good about yourself. In fact, being
authentic is quite liberating. You are free to think, feel, act and speak. You
do not need a personal cheering section to keep you moving. While you live an
authentic life, you begin to gain the bigger picture of your place in this
world; and you start to see the real you and potentiality that you have.
One of the most positive
aspects of living an authentic life is that you begin to see how much more
there is to learn in life. You begin to experience life through the eyes of a
smaller you - the child within that is ready to experience each and every day.
And when you do, you realize that no one or nothing can stop you from growing,
thriving and succeeding. After all, Socrates was correct when he said true
wisdom comes when we realize how little we understand about life -- but when
you live an authentic life, you are on the right track to that same wisdom you
can call your own.
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