Do you crave to be yourself, authentic, free from constraints, obligations and pressure? If this case, you’re exactly in the right place. Get cosy with a cuppa on your side and let’s dive in! You may have heard that being authentic is a buzzword but I believe a lot of naysayers use this excuse to avoid facing the truth. Being authentic is the path to your inner confidence, radiance, and success.
The word authentic originates from the Greek ‘authentikos’, which means “genuine, and from ‘authentes’, one acting on one’s own authority. When you’re authentic, you act from your own authority, and as a result, you are seen as an authority. So, what does it mean to be authentic? It means being true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure you're under to act otherwise. When you commit to this path, you embark on a self-discovery journey to uncover your visibility (self-expression). But the question is, how can we commit to being authentic in our day-to-day life?
Self-Leadership
Raise your awareness. Learn to understand how your mind works so you can be the creative director of your life and not be swayed by your intellect, eager to keep you in your comfort zone, shielding you from any emotional risks. Place yourself as a non-judgemental observer. Lean in on your intuition, eager to help you embrace your potential and step into the unknown. And I know, Gorgeous, your intellect can be really strong and make you fall into Overthinking Land, but you can do it. Honour it, acknowledge it, thank it for its help, and stay the Queen of your Queendom.
Cultivate A Rockstar Mindset. It’s the mindset that will keep you going, despite obstacles and challenges, and will help you to step into your brilliance with joy and gusto unapologetically. Not only will it help you elevate your fortitude, but it will also help you turn your vulnerability and courage into a force for good. A Rockstar Mindset means saying yes to all parts of yourself— the good, the bad, the ugly, and the magic—and being unapologetic about it. Most importantly, it’s the mindset that will help you to see the goodness of the world through an innovative lens and live in it.
Learn to love the learning journey. If there’s one journey that is never-ending and I love, it’s this one. The more you understand it, the more your failures turn into gems of wisdom and your mistakes help you master your craft. Despite our societal conditioning, our humanity helps us grow and evolve as long as we accept to be human once and for all. Gorgeous, you are a work in progress, not a finished product.
Choose your new identity. Being authentic to yourself asks that you let go of what no longer serves you—beliefs, ideas, habits or behaviours and it’s not necessarily easy to know where to start. However, when you dig beneath the surface, reflect, and define the woman you want to become, you’ll give yourself the gift of clarity and focus. It’s even a necessity to avoid people dictating your life with their judgements, expectations and perceptions.
Create your new system of beliefs and values. Okay, it may sound like a tedious task, but it’s not if you’re willing to be curious and delve into your subconscious. Once you’re clear about your identity, choose your new beliefs and values. Secondly, choose the habits in alignment with these new beliefs and values. Pause, take a breath and be honest with yourself. How do you feel? Does it feel easy to cultivate these new habits, or does it feel scary? If it feels scary, ask yourself why until you reach the root of the issue. Your feelings will guide you to your fears and, ultimately your shadow—this space where your limiting beliefs, patterns and narratives reside.
SELF-LOVE
Trust yourself again and again. Let’s be honest Gorgeous; you wouldn’t be where you are if you had not made this choice: choose yourself, bet on yourself, and trust yourself. The key to authenticity is to constantly trust yourself, believe that you can do it, and stay laser-focused on your North Star: your vision.
Define your value and worth. Be willing to discover what you bring to the table that no one can do like you. It’s the most excavation work of your life, but the most rewarding because you’ll discover your brilliance and what makes you unique and special. Once you discover it, own it and be unapologetic about it. By doing so, you’ll own your worth, your respect and your power. There is a TED Talk about unconditional self-worth that is really worth listening to this TedTalk
Cultivate your sense of safety. It starts with this question: do you feel safe in your body? Do you feel safe to put yourself out there, be visible and promote yourself? If you are, bravo to you. If not, there’s nothing wrong with that; it’s absolutely normal. Ask yourself; what makes you feel this way? If you are scared of being judged, or criticised, tune into your body to find where this fear is located.
Nurture your vitality. What does it mean? You didn’t work on yourself to be affected by people less conscious than you, prone to negativity and drama. Gorgeous, protect all the hard work you put in to have a positive mindset, do the inner work and elevate your personal growth. So, be assertive and surround yourself with people uplifting your energy, supporting you, and believing in you. Play the detective like Miss Enola Holmes and find out what is draining or amplifying your energy. Carve out time to do what makes you feel good; it could be reading a book, having a stroll in a park or booking an energy healing session. Regardless of what it is, make sure to protect your energy and keep your vibes high. Your energy is your currency. You can start protecting your energy with this podcast episode of Gabby Bernstein, a spiritual teacher, and motivational speaker: https://gabbybernstein.com/podcast/stop-taking-on-other-peoples-energy-emotions/
Embrace forgiveness with grace. Forgive yourself for your mistakes, mishaps and what you didn’t do. Why? Because you did your best with the tools that you had at the moment. You are neither omniscient nor omnipotent. You’re an imperfect human being evolving to be the best version of yourself. When you start to forgive yourself, you open the door to forgive others. Forgiving is not the act of condoning people’s behaviour but freeing yourself of the emotional charge of their behaviour to regain your agency. Have a try with this beautiful video and meditation by Emily Flecther, my meditation teacher and founder of the Ziva meditation: https://zivameditation.com/blog/the-power-of-forgiveness
SELF-EXPRESSION
Ignite your Creativity. Give yourself the gift of expressing yourself on your terms. Don’t model yourself after someone else; take the time to listen to your inner voice and create from a place of pleasure, curiosity, and play. The beauty of creativity is to bring forth something new in the world with your voice, your words or your art. Once you ignite your creativity, you give a voice to your hidden talents—talents that you crave to explore but are afraid to do so. These talents are an element of your Visibility Charisma. One talk about creativity that I love is the TED Talk by Ethan Hawke. It’s an excellent talk that will inspire you to be creative now:
Be of Service: If you feel called to make a difference in people’s lives, ask yourself these questions: How can I be of service today? What value can I bring to people’s lives? How do I want them to feel? Asking yourself these questions is fundamental to making your visibility genuine and impactful. Your energy will convey your intentions, and people will feel your authenticity.
Discover your Visibility Style. Visibility is the conduit of your self-expression. We all have the desire to be seen and heard. We all have a unique way of being seen but the catalyst for change occurs when you understand what makes you stand out, what your strengths and challenges are, and the special way you can be visible and authentic, drama and stress-free. If you want to discover your Visibility Style, I invite you to take my free quiz:https://arockstarmindset.com/freebie
Own your Awesomeness. You’re a diamond in the rough, multifaceted, and multidimensional. You’re born to shine from any angle. The gift of discovering your self-expression is feeling free to shine, own your brilliance and share it with the world. You’re no longer a prisoner of self-censorship to avoid the fear of judgment or rejection. Instead, use your relationship skills to create a real, genuine connection with your audience, team or employees; don’t be afraid to be empathetic and strong to make people feel understood, cared for, and supported. There’s one woman I deeply admire: Jacinda Ardern, former PM of New Zealand. She embodied this compassionate leadership model, a blend of her fortitude and compassion, and was a fantastic leader for her country.
Ignite your Radiance. When you do something you love, own your voice, and share your message with the world, there’s no better feeling. You show this passion and joy for life within you without fear, inspiring and motivating others. By doing so, you become a role model and inspire people to be their authentic selves. You feel free to be you, unapologetically YOU, oozing joy, positive energy, and enthusiasm, centred and grounded.
I invite you, Gorgeous, to take what feels good for you and give it a try. I’m not here to overwhelm you with information, but rather to show you how simple and avant-garde principles and tools can help you regain your sovereignty and self-expression so that being authentic is your most prized achievement—one that no one can take away from you. I committed to being authentic 5 years ago, and it opened doors for me beyond my wildest expectations. Give yourself the gift of being true to yourself and embark on this fabulous journey. It’s worth it.
A note from BYICON: As a fashion, image, and personal branding consulting service, we recognize the paramount importance of embracing authenticity and staying true to oneself within the personal branding and image consulting. We trust that this article has illuminated the path towards discovering your inner confidence, radiance, and success. Until the next post, keep radiating your most authentic self! |