I was in New York City twice last week for work. What an amazing city! In my 30 minute walk to my destination I feel like I saw just about everything. Nothing is off limits or too outrageous in NYC. Being in the city reminds me that the tiny little microcosm I live in near Princeton is certainly not indicative of the world—not even a little bit.

As I walked around this incredibly diverse city, I couldn’t help but wonder about authenticity. As a psychological concept, authenticity means embracing who you really are at your very core and acting in accordance with your own values and beliefs. It’s having the confidence and courage to not necessarily be like everyone else which leaves us in an incredibly vulnerable position. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t living truly authentic lives. 

Today, think about authenticity like this: not false or copied; genuine and real. Is the real you hiding? The only one we are fooling in our inauthenticity is ourselves. If you are unhappy, chances are you are not living an authentic life. Today think about the how you resonate with the words false/copied as well as genuine/real. The authentic you should feel free!

With Gratitude, Beth