In which areas of your life are you inauthentic? And with whom are you inauthentic? Another way of posing this question is: with whom do you pretend? These were a couple questions that were asked at my first yoga teacher training a few years ago.
When we are inauthentic, we wear a mask. We hide who we are. And why? Because there is a deep rooted feeling that who we are might not be good enough. We want to be accepted and loved, and therefore we are prepared to act certain ways or say certain things just to feel that acceptance and love. In reality however, just like the actions and words, this type of acceptance and love is also not real.
When I looked closely, I observed how inauthentic I had been in my career and my work, and also with certain close people in my life. So when I returned home from the training, I decided to make changes in those areas of my life and I was committed to staying true to myself.
So before I talk about what I did to start to embody a truer, more authentic me, I wanted to say the following: With self-inquiry or soul-searching, whatever you'd like to call it, unless you put it into practice, it's all meaningless. You can talk for hours on end about it, analyse it all, read as many quotes as you like about it, but until you can feel the changes, until it's tangible, it means nothing at all.
After completing the training, I often found myself pausing before I did or said anything. I would ask myself whether what I was about to say or do came from a place that is authentic and true, or whether it came from a place of insecurity. Am I saying or doing this because I think it is what others will want to hear or see? That for me was incredibly powerful.
I STARTED TO SPEAK MY TRUTH
"How incredibly sweet it is to be able to talk about what's really important, stepping out from behind our facades and the little stupid conversations that we're taught are a necessary social lubricant" Ana Forrest
How often have you had an argument with a partner or friend that could have easily been prevented if you both spoke your truth? As humans, we always make assumptions in our interactions with others. The truth is however, no matter how close they are to you, they will never know how you feel if you don't tell them. Our minds are so incredibly complex, how can we expect others to be able to guess and decipher everything that is going on up there? I truly believe that miscommunication is the root of most fights and disputes in our society.
Missing somebody? CALL
Wanna meet up? INVITE
Wanna be understood? EXPLAIN
Have questions? ASK
Don't like something? SAY IT
Like something? STATE IT
Want something? ASK FOR IT
Love someone? TELL THEM
Don't let your fear and insecurities hold you back, start to speak your truth. It is utterly liberating.
Much love,
Nicole
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