Authenticity

One of a kind

Be real

Authentic

 

“I can’t think of another single characteristic that I treasure more deeply in a human being than authenticity. I find it rare. Among my friends, I feel most at home with those who are comfortable with their true selves, and who have put in the time and work it takes to discover and root out deep fears and insecurities. Those who have searched themselves. Those who have seen themselves. Those who can vulnerably share their genuine desires, fears, dreams, and flaws. Those who are okay with me being me and them being them. Those who don’t look at me with nervous, wide eyes when I step past their comfort zone and share something too raw and too honest (which I am known to do often). Those who are brave enough to not have an answer, to not have it figured out, to question the “obvious”. Those who are honest enough to understand that they understand very little. Authentic is the most lovely thing a human being can be.”

 I read this on the Lipstick Gospel a view days, from a guest post. It put into words something I am a big advocate on, and will always fight for.

 And that is authenticity.

 Really this is all we aim to do!! I have spoken about living a life of purpose and the whole objective of our charity of Andy’s beat is to make a difference.

Do we have to be authentic to do that?

Well no…its not a prerogative or a rule, so many not see it as a necessity but I do.

We are putting ourselves out there, quite literally and why even go to the great effort of doing that to be fake?

“live authentically. Why would you continue to compromise something beautiful to create something fake?”

 But its easy to do so……sometimes we don’t see ourselves, our character our personality, our quirks and flaws as beautiful and therefore we put on a persona that isn’t necessarily are own. Sometimes it can be entirely purposeful, pretending to be someone or something were not and sometimes its an sub-conscious things because were not comfortable or confident enough to be ourselves.

But when those doubts that you, the real you isn’t good enough come do not let them wash away who you are because that person has infiently more to offer. This is something I have really learnt this year, because I’ve for the first time felt confident just to be me, I’ve let people into my life (many that were already in it before) and let them see me….and I haven’t been rebuked for it and its created some really beautiful friendships, ones of honesty and a vulnerability that is no longer scary but comforting, to know someone knows the real you and still loves you, would still fight your corner, still has your back….your real back.

“the most authentic thing about us is our capcity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering”

 I love this quote because they’re all things relatable to everyday life, we all are creative whether that’s literally through art or whether its your own craft, we all endure to a degree, we all love, and we all suffer to varying degrees and with different things. And we can be greater than that suffering.

Debbie did just that, its something I have watched manifest in her in these past 10 months, the capacity to be greater than her suffering. Clearly one of the biggest ways it manifested itself was through Andy’s Beat.

 Everytime we stare fear or failure in the face and refuse it let us beat us we are being greater than our suffering. And when I do that I want to do it as me, the real me not some fictional version of myself that I have modified to please people, bent to peer pressure all to  ‘appeal to the masses’ as you might say.

 I’ve talked about the importance of storytelling. This is all this Blog has ever and will ever aim to do, to share form the heart, by being real whilst telling our story. The Voice I use is nothing but authentic.

And it is an accomplishment. We realize that an authentic us is not pleasing to all people! But we cannot ever be all things to all people, and if your going to disappoint anyone don’t let it be yourself by pretending to be someone your not.

But the reward is so much greater when you put yourself out there and receive support and love back for you, because its all on your own merit you know you didn’t gain someone’s love or trust because of something your not and were pretending to be, but because you were just you.

That’s the only person you need to be.

Are you being authentic? What barriers do you face to authenticity?