I have found it - the definition of authenticity! Sure, there are plenty of Toms, Dicks, and Harrys out there who claim to know all about “authentic” life styles. They say, “Listen to me. I can guide you to happiness!” Then they charge you an arm and a leg. But I think I have found the real definition of authenticity. Here it is, for free I might add. (You’re welcome!)
It comes by way of Brian Goldman, a graduate student at the University of Georgia in Athens. He was digging through centuries-old research and philosophy when he uncovered what I think is a pretty great definition:
”The unimpeded operations of one’s true or core self in one’s daily enterprise.”
Ohhh … pretty! How simple and sweet is that, huh?
I agree completely with it too, which you probably already knew because I’ve been using the same definition of authenticity for quite sometime now.
Another one of my favorites is Neil Lark Warren’s 10 Characteristics in Finding Contentment. I’ve also recently been struck by so-called physical acts of authenticity, which the authors outlined in a newer issue of Psychology Today.
These physical acts of authenticity are:
1. Meditate. Think of it only as a way to get to your “happy place,” not a technique to influence outside forces. For instance, why do you work? To earn money to buy pretty things. Why do you meditate? To achieve internal happiness. I can handle that.
2. Be Deliberate. Be conscious that you have choices. You can choose to change (lol–”I choose change!”), or you can choose to stick with what you have. You can choose to move forward, go backward, or do nothing at all. Being deliberate simply means acting consciously, with purpose.
3. Act Intuitively. Sure, you got me; this runs counter to No. 2. But as we’ve talked about before, acting consciously can sometimes be detrimental when too much rationalizing and reasoning gets in the way of your gut feelings. Don’t be afraid to follow your instincts. They’re there to guide you forward.
4. Create Solitude. There’s nothing like shutting down–on purpose–so you can recharge. We’re talking power down your blackberry, shut your door, turn off the TV and the laptop, and provide yourself the space to just thing and be. Authentic people regularly look inside and listen to their intuition, but they can’t do this with all the chaos of the modern world swirling around them.
5. Stay Connected. Thomas Moore, author of A Life at Work, says, “Community is an outlook toward life in which you define yourself in relation to the world around you, rather than only in connection with yourself.” Community, he is saying, is a way to enlarge our own sense of self.
6. Play Hard. Don’t hold back when doing what you really love, whether it’s tennis, running, art, dancing. It allows you to fully express who you are at your core.
7. Be Willing to Lose. Authentic people know that failure is part of growing. You must be willing to stare down your failures, learn from them, and move forward if you are to live an authentic life.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
What great rules to live by! I find in my personal life it’s pretty easy to be “authentic.” When it comes to my writing, however, I was always worried that I wasn’t doing it right. I took a break (for a whole week gasp!) and realized I just needed to be me when I write. I write what I want, when I want, and however I want. It so much easier now!
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:13 am
I have been working hard on living from my authentic self. It hasn’t been easy to get there and I am not there completely yet but I am making progress. The closer I get the more fulfilled I am. I recently quit my job and started my own business which fits who I am so much better. I have never been happier professionally. I continue to work on me personally. I do struggle with meditation. Any advice on that?
April 12th, 2009 at 9:34 am
hm… cognitively..
June 12th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Hi, interest post. I’ll write you later about few questions!
June 13th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Hi, very nice post. I have been wonder’n bout this issue,so thanks for posting
July 6th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Hello! Thanks for the post. It is really amazing! I will definitely share it with my friends.
August 31st, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Questions and answers about 1973 oldsmobile 442 and Intrigue oldsmobile recall.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Удачи вам! Я думаю у вас все получится
January 10th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Смотрел репортаж в новостях по ТВ. Долго ржал по этому поводу
Все гениальное просто!
January 14th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Вот это да… После прочтения даже мне тема стала интересна.
January 15th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Ñîâðåìåííàÿ ÑÒÎ ýôôåêòèâíî è êà÷åñòâåííî âûïîëíÿåò ñâîè ôóíêöèè ïðè ïîìîùè ðàçëè÷íîãî âèäà îáîðóäîâàíèÿ…
àâòîðåìîíò…
January 19th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Øèðîêèé ñïåêòð ñîâðåìåííîãî øàõòíîãî è ãîðíîîáîãàòèòåëüíîãî îáîðóäîâàíèÿ íàñ÷èòûâàåò áîëåå 100 íàèìåíîâàíèé…
âèáðàòîðû, ãðîõîòû, æåëåçîîòäåëèòåëè…
January 25th, 2010 at 7:49 am
àñôàëüòîóêëàä÷èêè, àâòîêðàíû, áóëüäîçåðû, ãðåéäåðû, êàòêè, ïîãðóç÷èêè, ýêñêàâàòîðû…
Ïîãðóç÷èêè èñïîëüçóþòñÿ äëÿ çàñûïêè, ðàñêîïêè, âûðàâíèâàíèè è äðóãèõ ðàáîò ñ ðàçëè÷íûìè ìàòåðèàëàìè…
February 8th, 2010 at 1:52 am
Êàê çàðàáîòàòü â èíòåðíåòå…
èíñòðóêöèè ïî çàðàáîòêó â ñåòè…
February 9th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Ïÿòèçâåçäî÷íûå îòåëè Åãèïòà…
Åãèïåò - æåì÷óæèíà ìèðîâîé êóëüòóðû…
February 12th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Да уж, это конечно же непросто.
February 13th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Âèäû âåíòèëÿöèîííîãî îáîðóäîâàíèÿ…
Ñèñòåìû âåíòèëÿöèè…
February 15th, 2010 at 9:38 am
Ãîðîä Ñèäå ðàñïîëîæåí íà ïîëóîñòðîâå â 75 êì îò Àíòàëüè…
Îòåëè ãîðîäà Ñèäå…
February 16th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Ãîà íàõîäèòñÿ íà çàïàäå Èíäèè…
Ìóçûêà, òàíöû, ïðèêëàäíîå è óñòíîå òâîð÷åñòâî ãëóáîêèìè êîðíÿìè óõîäÿò â äóøó Ãîà, à ðèòìû ïóëüñèðóþò â ñåðäöàõ åãî æèòåëåé…
February 17th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Êëàññèôèêàöèÿ è íàçíà÷åíèå êàáåëåé…
Ýëåêòðîêàáåëè…
February 18th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Îòåëè Àëàíèè…
Êóðîðòû Òóðöèè…
February 19th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Ïèëîðàìû…
Áð¸âíîïèëüíûå äèñêîâûå ñòàíêè…
February 21st, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Ïàðèæ - ñòîëèöà Ôðàíöèè…
Ïðîâåäèòå îòïóñê âî Ôðàíöèè…
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Ïðàãà - Ãîðîä ñîòíè øïèëåé…
Ïðàãà - ñòîëèöà ×åõèè…
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:16 am
Êàíàðñêèå îñòðîâà…
Âàëåíñèÿ…
February 24th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Ãèäðàâëè÷åñêèå íàñîñû…
Íàñîñû è ãèäðàâëè÷åñêîå îáîðóäîâàíèå…
February 25th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
ïíåâìîàâòîìàòèêà…
Ïðîìûøëåííîå èñïîëüçîâàíèå ïíåâìàòèêè íà÷àëîñü áîëåå ñòà ëåò íàçàä…
February 26th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Ìåêñèêà âîïëîùåíèå èäåàëüíîãî òóðèñòè÷åñêîãî íàïðàâëåíèÿ…
Ìåêñèêà ðàñïîëàãàåò ïî-íàñòîÿùåìó óíèêàëüíûìè âîçìîæíîñòÿìè äëÿ âñåõ âèäîâ òóðèçìà…
February 27th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Ìåäèöèíñêèå èçäåëèÿ…
Ìåäèöèíñêàÿ òåõíèêà…
February 28th, 2010 at 5:31 am
×åì òóðèñòîâ ïðèâëåêàåò Èñïàíèÿ…
5 äîâîäîâ çà îòäûõ â Èñïàíèè…
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Îáùàÿ èíôîðìàöèÿ î Òóíèñå…
Äîñòîïðèìå÷àòåëüíîñòè Òóíèñà…
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:04 am
Îáùàÿ èíôîðìàöèÿ î ×åðíîãîðèè…
Äîñòîïðèìå÷àòåëüíîñòè ×åðíîãîðèè…
March 4th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Êëàññèôèêàöèÿ ñòàíêîâ è îáîðóäîâàíèÿ ïî ìåòàëëó…
Ìåòàëëîðåæóùèé ñòàíîê…
March 5th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Ïóòåøåñòâèå â Òàéëàíä…
Âåëèêîëåïíûé îòäûõ â Òàéëàíäå…
March 7th, 2010 at 2:47 am
Óëüòðàçâóêîâîé íåðàçðóøàþùèé êîíòðîëü…
Óëüòðàçâóêîâûå ïðèáîðû…
March 9th, 2010 at 2:40 am
Да уж Мне кажется, об этом пишут уже на каждом углу