27. Being Authentic

The natural world is always true to its own nature. The fragrance, texture and taste of an apple remains the same…it doesn’t suddenly morph into a pear half way through. Interestingly, the same cannot be said of us humans. When I am in conversation with someone, and it becomes quite clear that they are not being genuine, I want to walk away. So much time and effort is wasted when we pretend to be other than who we truly are. This may sound obvious and yet we are unable to remain authentic in all our dealings. 

What is being authentic? According to a dictionary definition, it means genuine, not a copy. In other words not false. However, I have often heard of the advice, ‘fake it until we make it’! I understand this to be appropriate when we want to up our game and become something or someone that we want to emulate. I have done this myself when feeling in the dumps, where faking laughter until I find myself laughing with genuine mirth (often at my own feeling like a fool!) has worked. The disturbing aspect of faking is when we cause harm and create a reality that does not exist. We have seen examples of this globally with the banking crises in the first decade of this century. The falsehood that was peddled around brought the whole system down like a house of cards. Is it not possible that this could happen to us in our own lives?

I admire and am attracted to personalities who speak their truth, even when it may not seem popular. It is so restful to be in the company of genuine, authentic people who are comfortable and accepting of their own nature. These people allow others to be themselves too, creating an atmosphere of empowerment, magnetism and hope for a more fulfilling life.