“Authenticity” has been a noticeable buzz word the last few years but what does it really mean?

According to the dictionary, authenticity means, “not false or copied; genuine; real; reliable; trustworthy.” Take a minute and let that sink in. Now look at your life through that filter and ask yourself, “Am I living an authentic life?”

This is purely a question to have you examine what has or hasn't been going on in regards to how you’ve been living. Really allow yourself the space to assess if what you are doing in your life and through your life, as well as how you are showing up in your life, is authentic. It’s from this place of neutrality that you can observe and make alterations where you feel the need to.

So why is authenticity so important? Simply put, there is nothing more joyful than living the “whole” of who you are on a daily basis. When you are living authentically, you are also living courageously and purposefully. When you are doing that, you, without effort, will start affecting other people for the better.

The interesting thing about living an authentic life is that you’ll physically feel it and your brain and body will start giving you feedback about it. At high levels of inauthentic behavior, you may start to feel physically unwell, but before it even gets to that point, your brain will start sending you messages that something is off. For instance, you might start feeling unsettled or experience low-grade anxiety for apparently no reason. That is your higher consciousness telling you that something is not in alignment and it needs to be addressed.

Your brain is constantly sending you data because it’s absorbing information at a rate you can’t process consciously. However, the brain knows, and it wants you to listen to it so you can create an authentic life; this just means you are living in harmony with who you truly are and as you were created. You are capable of achieving staggering potential, which is why your brain is constantly monitoring what’s going on and then trying to tell you about it!

Where are some areas of your life that need to become more authentic and how can you tap into that? Simply getting quiet with your thoughts is a great way to start. As you listen to your Higher Brain, you may realize that you have a pattern of people-pleasing and do things you don’t want to do so others are happy with you. This isn’t an authentic way to live—while they may remain happy, you most certainly will not.

Something else you may notice is that what’s most important to you isn’t what you are pursuing—personally or professionally. From society to family and friends, what you “should” be doing or how you “should” be engaging in the world can become seductive or accepted messages that you’ve been labeling as truth. There is only one you, however, and what’s important is that you are doing things and engaging in life in a way that feels natural and is also naturally bringing out the best in you and in others.

Humans were designed for interaction and community, and the best gift you’ll ever be able to give to anyone is to live the authentic life that was always meant for you to live. Not everyone will like or agree with it—that’s why living authentically takes courage and intention. You’ll find, though, that when you embrace an authentic life, everything will start to flow more easily. When that happens, it’s easier to be fearless, and that’s when powerful change occurs.

Want to learn more about how to access the part of your brain that will have you living fearlessly and authentically?