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Aspect #21

ESSENCE BOOK #1

3 min read

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself,

instead of a second-rate version of

somebody else.”

~ Judy Garland

ESSENCE: Authenticity enables the real self to thrive.

Authenticity is fully embracing our genuine selves, thus remaining true to who we really are. Authentic people are inspired, confident, independent, and many are calm. They seek inner direction rather than direction from the media-saturated outside world.

Many regrets in life stem from instances when we are not our authentic selves, when we are succumbing to peer pressure, placating others, going against our intuition, and/or following the crowd to be cool and fit in.

Peer pressure and cultural conditioning expect us to act a certain way. And this is exactly what many of us do—we act.

We act a certain way when we are at work or school. We act a certain way when the boss or teacher is around. We act a certain way when attending our houses of worship. We act a certain way when we are with our friends. We act a certain way when we are with our parents and families. These are a lot of acts to keep track of! Perhaps the question to consider is: In which act are you truly being your authentic self? Living with authenticity is an expression of freedom, as we are simply being who we naturally are.

Sleeping Souls tend to be disconnected to their authentic selves. They have a tendency to succumb to peer and societal pressures, pushing them to act and look a certain way. They tend to put on a show in an effort to placate others and gain acceptance. Many communities are filled with Sleeping Souls who feel the social pressure to put aside their authentic selves and be someone they are not. They are living a lie due to their own lack of confidence and tremendous need for acceptance, prohibiting them from being who they truly are. They imprison themselves by needing external validation from other people. Some begin to seek.

Seekers generally learn that placating others at the expense of dishonoring their authentic selves is no way to live. On their quest toward ascension, there is an awakening of inspiration, while an inner sense of confidence and personal wisdom eXpands. They open to their authentic selves, expressing their talents without self-importance, enabling them to become their personal best. Seekers come to realize that acting is exhausting, and that people simply need to accept them for who they truly are.

Awakened tend to honor reality, choosing to be aware and accepting of the imperfections within themselves and others. They live their lives with integrity and tend to be open-hearted, compassionate, and friendly people. Their actions and behaviors are consistent from one social setting to the next, without concern for acceptance by others, because they have already accepted themselves. They have no need for external validation, as their self-confidence is enough. Awakened possess the ability to live their truth....