Six vital questions for living an authentic life

Being authentic means taking responsibility for our choices in life and not shying away from mistakes by blaming others. Authentic people are prepared to face up to the consequences of their actions and to learn from them. They know how to balance their needs alongside the needs of others at work and in life. 

Authenticity requires knowing and being honest with ourselves, developing our strengths and abilities, and getting in touch with our inner thoughts and emotions. It takes real courage to follow our heart and intuition. 

Reflect on these six vital questions to live a more authentic life:

1. How have you changed in the past year? 

2. What would you like to do differently? 

3. Do you feel valued and able to be yourself in important relationships? 

4. Are you strongly influenced by others or do you stand by what you believe in?

5. Who inspires you and what qualities of theirs would you like to see more of in yourself?

6. What do you need to let go of to rediscover who you are and who you want to be?

Being authentic is an ongoing process where we are attentive to our inner world.  Spend time digging deeper to understand what is going on and where you need to focus your attention now. 

Making a life transition can take time. Your confidence will grow as you begin to reshape who you want to be. 

You will still face challenges and difficulties in life, yet with inner wisdom and more resilience you can be better prepared.  

You may find that you want to spend more time with people and in places that nurture your authenticity, and to focus on activities that are important to you. You will also be better equipped to support others on their journey towards authenticity. 

It turns out that authentic people tend to live healthier, happier and more fulfilled lives.  

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” Mohandas Gandhi

Adapted from “Authentic: How to Be Yourself and Why It Matters” by Stephen Joseph