Last week, I was asked in a podcast recording how I define authenticity.

You’d think I’d have a definition ready to roll, but I didn’t. I don’t think the definition of authenticity is complicated, and I shared that I really just think it means being true to your Self, true to your values.

True to your values is important.

But only if you know what your Authentic Self values.

I think today, more than ever, people are living by values that are not aligned with their Authentic Self. Instead, they live by a set of values aligned with others' initiatives. In an attempt to find a sense of belonging and acceptance, people look to the world’s validation rather than their own validation from within, and adopt the values and beliefs of others.

Knowing and staying true to your own values is a game that has become rigged against us. Social media and traditional media make it almost seamless for your values to be replaced by someone else’s agenda. If you’re not careful, you’ll find your Self spouting “facts” that the Authentic version of your Self would never say, and the scary thing is you don’t realize in the moment you’ve compromised your values.

If you're not true to the values you’ve identified and defined for your Self, it is not possible to live your Authentic Life–you cannot be authentic if you are not living according to your values and moral compass.

Take some time to reflect on the values you have chosen to live by and see if you can track the origin of them. If you cannot trace them back to your heart, meaning you don’t feel these values as a part of your Authentic Self, then it’s likely you are holding someone else’s values as your own.

I believe our Authentic Values are rooted in love, which is why it’s important to reconnect with our own values and disconnect from those imposed on us.

​

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC