BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Self Development Authentic self?

In another forum, Holly has spoken about authentic self. What is authentic self?

Today am I in my authentic self or not?
Or I will be in my authentic self tomorrow?
I feel that at every moment we live as authentic self.
We can not be anything else.

I'm not sure what 'authentic self' is, but I think it might mean the 'real' you, and the 'real' me. Not necessarily the person we show to the world.

For example, very few of our friends know that Patience is a lesbian. Only one or two know that we are DID/MPD. (sorry to keep using the plural, but you get used to this when you are not a single personality) So we are not showing those people our 'authentic self'.

Some might say that we are not being true to ourselves, but most people show others what they know others can accept. There is always something of ourselves that we keep hidden. I think so anyway, but really can only speak for myself.

I'll be interested to hear what others think.

Ann.

Yes das, looked at it that way, we can't ever actually be anything but ourselves. Even the term DID is now being used in place of MPD to reflect that understanding... that no one is many personalities in one body, just one personality, but sometimes that personality may be fractured and not feel whole and integrated.

On the other hand, people often find the concept of "authentic self" a useful tool and descriptive. As i said in that other post, personally i just think of it as our authentic self is when we feel unfettered and free, balanced (emotionally healthy), and able to move towards our dreams and act in accordance with our morals, rather than be limited by fears, low self esteem, and easily thrown off balance or wounded by events. When we're "authentic," we are happy, at peace with ourselves, feel confident and whole and have a vibrant life. When we are true to ourselves we are confident in our ability to cope and believe that one way or another, things will be all right.

Your thoughts?

Hello Das,

I'm so glad you brought this thread into being.

I loved the way that Holly described it above and I simply don't want to find a different way of saying it.

For myself, I know that I am being my authentic self when I am just simply "being". There is no "trying" involved. It is the sense of "expressing" who I already am in the absence of trying to impress anyone else.

When I'm living on this level, fear seems to melt away because I'm so very OK about just being me. I don't need to prove anything or get any accolade for it. It doesn't matter what others think because I feel like I have wings to fly and have a sense of my own personal sense of purpose and worth in this world.

When I'm living from my authentic self, it seems that all my desires make sense - like I'm meant to be in the very place I am. The talents in me seem to come out and I feel invigorated. It's almost like finding out I'm an expert at different things I'm passionate about and all I have to do is let the expert out from within!

It is a place of peace. There is no struggling or fighting against the world or anything else. It is a feeling of wholeness. It is also a place filled with light where darkness simply leaves without having to push it away.

I guess it's a feeling of releasing all that I already am and realizing that somehow, I'm already the person I've always wanted to be. I just need to let her (my true self) come forward. There is no fear of failure, only incredible freedom.

To me, there is a difference when comparing "being authentic" with others versus "being my authentic self". I'm very real with people I know and so in that way, I'm very authentic when sharing with them. However, being my authentic self is on a much deeper level. It supersedes what I've been taught or even experienced in the past. It is when I give myself permission to let all of my passions and strengths shine even if someone wants to put their sunglasses on and simply shy away from me. If they shy away, it doesn't mean something is wrong with me.

I wish I could say that I am always living at this level of freedom. From time to time, old fears may creep in and then I somehow "cover up my glory" without realizing it. The truth is that although I am always very real with others, I'm not always allowing myself to live from my authentic self. My desire is to live "fully alive" as my true self at every given moment. I know it is the way of choice for me and one day I will shine 24 hours a day.

On my birthday a couple years ago, a friend gave me a copy of a poem written by Marianne Williamson from her book "Return To Love" (1992). She says it so well! I read it whenever I want to inspire myself to keep being all of my authentic self. I've pasted it here so you have the chance to be inspired by it too:

Our deepest fear is not
that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all to make manifest
the glory of God
that is within us.
It's not just within some of us;
it's in everyone.
And as we let our light shine,
we unconsciously give others
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears,
our presence automatically liberates others.

I would love to hear what you think after reading the poem. If this speaks to you and you find yourself believing it to be true, then I offer the invitation for you to share your "authentic self" with us on this forum.

Warmly,

Tami

P.S. If anyone reading this read my posts in the "Is your future your choice" thread, then perhaps you'll understand that I usually see the glory of others before all else. I look for the glimpses of the beauty in each of us. Some of the beauty is full shine, other beauty is yet to be unveiled.

Dear Holly, I don't know where you read that, but it isn't correct. Different personalities DO exist. They were 'created' by the original child as a means of coping with extreme abuse.

They exist independantly of each other and the original child.
They have different genders, different ages, different talents and abilities and are often physically different, health-wise.

This quote explains it more fully:



Perhaps it might clarify this condition to look at this link - which explains the nature of DID and of alter personalities very well, and accurately.

BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

Holly, let us not think of the word authentic but find out how we remove all our shackles and live life free like a bird. Right?

Tami,

Your post needs multiple reading. Give me time to respond.

Holly,

Please read the bold text. I was thinking of authentic self exactly in this way. Your input?

I also think that a person's motives are important to consider.
Why would anyone want to keep an aspect of ourselves, hidden?
With me, wysiwyg....

But there are aspects of my personal and past life I don't talk about.
Not because I am ashamed, or because I feel embarassed/hurt/guilty/nervous or anything like that.
It's because they are completely redundant and irrelevant to what is now, today, with me.

Ann, I was thinking of this all the while, but could not put it in words. You have done that excellently.