Written by: Andrée Funnell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Living in-authentically can be exhausting; it can be stressful; it’s generally just hard work. So, why do so many of us put ourselves through it? Whether it’s to get ahead at work, win over a romantic partner, or live up to parenting expectations. It’s all too common for individuals to wear the mask of the person they feel they’re supposed to be rather than who they want to be. This could be because they’re following somebody else’s lead or expectations set by society or that they feel their unique personality wasn’t well-received once upon a time.
Being Authentic at home and work means living your life according to who you know yourself to be, attributing high value to yourself that is completely independent of external approvals. And when you achieve this, you’ll be amazed at how many different aspects of your life are transformed.
Here are a handful of things you’ll begin to notice when you embrace your authentic self and start living your life:
1. You will feel more confident
To be authentic, you must really know yourself. This means becoming entirely self-aware and connecting with your inner thoughts, dreams, desires, traits and aspirations. And you know what? In the process, you’ll discover that you’re actually rather wonderful!
You’ll realize that you have tonnes of talent, dreams and attributes on offer, and there is no need to hide behind a mask. When you finally recognize this in yourself, you’ll become more and more confident, which will also have a positive knock-on effect on your self-esteem.
2. You will build better relationships
When you get to know yourself better and start living your life more authentically, you might find that your relationships transform over time. Some will change for the better, some for the worse - either way, it will happen for a reason, because anyone who doesn’t support you in, whereexpressing yourself freely isn’t worth having around. The best relationships are built on honesty and communication. The people who deserve to be in your life will appreciate this. They’ll be the individuals who you can be unapologetically yourself around and who ill bring the best out in you.
You’ll probably even find that you develop enriching new relationships too, as you learn to embrace your authentic self and forge more genuine connections with people.
3. You will feel happier and more energized
When you express yourself genuinely and behave in a way that comes naturally to you, you won’t be expending needless energy on filtering your words or maintaining a facade. You’ll feel as though a weight has been lifted from your shoulders and you’ve got a newfound freedom to enjoy life how you please.
You’re responsible for your own happiness, and once you recognize this, you’ll become less reliant on other people to feel happy and driven.
4. You will get more satisfaction out of your job
The workplace is one of the most common places that people feel the pressure to present a false version of themselves. This is usually because you feel you need to behave in a certain way in order to find success or be respected, but it’s actually your uniqueness that is likely to get you noticed.
Once you realize you’re better off being yourself, you can remove the stress of upholding an illusion. You’ll have more time to focus on the important things and strive towards your goals. Being your authentic self at work will allow you to enjoy what you’re doing every day and find genuine satisfaction in your career.
5. You will have a greater sense of purpose
Being authentic can bring your attention to dreams and aspirations that you may have been suppressing or lacked the confidence to pursue before. It frees you to follow your passions and interests, and in no time, you’ll find real purpose in life.
If you’re interested in learning more about authenticity, you can read about how to live your most authentic life in my new ‘Behind the Mask’. You can get your copy at www.behind-the-mask-book.com or on Amazon.
Andrée Funnell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Andrée is a multi- award winning Coach, Learning & Development consultant, best-selling author and speaker, who is the founder and driving force behind the success of Aspiring Future Competence (AFC). Since its inception in 2002, AFC has helped clients across a wide range of business sectors to get visible, get heard and get ahead by applying inspirational ways to bring about positive change and empowerment. She has over 20 years HR & training experience working in corporate organisations and a further 18 years delivering development solutions that make a difference to people’s careers and lives. She is a qualified coach, professional trainer and NLP Practitioner. She discovered that Authenticity is the key to happiness, fulfillment and success and is keen to get the message out there to others. ‘Behind the Mask’ is Andrée’s literary debut about ‘Authenticity’. It’s an essential interactive step by step guide to turning your life around and achieving the kind of life you deserve by living authentically.
