Authentic~. As it refers to a person, being true to your own personality, values and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you are under to act otherwise. Being honest with yourself and others, and taking responsibility for your mistakes. This is the only way to be, true to who you are and what you are about. The difficult part of falling into your own authenticity may be, that other people may seize on our weaknesses as proof of our unworthiness, rather than our humanity. Authenticity is hard because we think what makes us human is our uniqueness, but it is our commonalities. Even though we all have our own unique qualities, so many people use them to separate themselves from others, holding themselves in higher regard or trying so hard to be different.
Authenticity means, "to follow your heart", what is inside and makes you who you are. Once you can find comfort in your own skin, you create confidence in self, this confidence carries you through so much in life and people are attracted to those with confidence. Being authentic contributes to your holistic well-being, encouraging happiness, fulfillment and high self esteem. When your actions align with your true nature, you are more likely to pursue your passions, believe in yourself, and feel confident in your opinions. Authentic people say what they mean and mean what they say.
I connected with seven strategies to Authenticity:
1- Take personal inventory- When do you feel most authentic? Prioritize people and activities that make you feel most alive, ones that bring you joy and meaning.
2- Be present- The ability to be present with yourself no matter what is going on around you is essential to authenticity. Once you get lost in the chatter you can loose focus on your own values.
3- Build your own social support system- Surround yourself with authentic people!!!
4- Speak your truth assertively. Improving how you communicate can have a big impact on living your authentic life. Express your needs honestly and with confidence, listen to other people when they speak, keep eye contact during a conversation and being able to say "NO".
5- Take actions toward authenticity- Your day to day actions!!
6- Take a step back to gain perspective. When you hyper focus on a problem you can loose sight of who you are. Take a step back to see the bigger picture, or remove yourself from the situation altogether.
7- Recognize internal and external influences. When you want to know your authentic self, it helps to differentiate your internal motivations and your external influences.
Internal- Drives and desires that come from deep within. Heart dreams that push you to
become a better person and pursue your goals.
External- Decisions you make based on external factors like, money, status, recognition or
expectations from other people.
Once you are able to align yourself with these strategies, being in touch with your authentic self will come easier and easier, until......you just are!!
Pumpkin Granola
Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free oats
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup sunbutter, or nut butter of choice (optional)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of other nut choice
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
2 tbsp flax seed (optional)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tso cinnamon
pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat ove to 325 degrees
Using a large bowl combine pumpkin, maple syrup, nut butter or seed butter, vanilla extract and spices, mix until smooth.
Add the oats, seeds of choice and nuts of choice, toss with spatula until well coated.
Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, press down to spread it evenly onto pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn half way through baking, a nice golden brown. If you want your granola crispier then cook it a bit longer. Let cool completely before you break it apart and store it.
