Dec

Living An Authentic Life

Today’s post is a guest post. I’d like to introduce you to Ching Ya Wong. Ching Ya has been kind enough to do a post for me, and on the topic that I suggested that she write on – authenticity. Authenticity is I think a big and important topic, so I would like to thank Ching Ya for writing on it. As always comments are most welcome.
In the world that’s full of counterfeit & fake items, false personalities & hypocrites, we demand authenticity. We wish to get the genuine items, the real stories, and listen to the truth (although it is not always pleasant). But, what about living authentically as a human being?

Why does inauthenticity rule over us?
In this contrived world, not many people are living an authentic life. It’s so easy to go with the flow, and lose our true identities along the way, especially in a world that welcomes the rich and famous, and that acknowledges people from higher authorities and social classes. Peer pressure, too, serves as a factor for inauthenticity. Why? Because we dream of having the job like our friend has, earning big bucks, driving sports cars, and traveling around the world.

It always seems more reasonable to chase after these worldly items rather than wasting time knowing our inner needs! But, what about the anger, dissatisfaction, and stress that haunt you everyday? Carol Adrienne, Ph.D. has said of authenticity,
‘A good sign that you are feeling authentic is when you feel expanded and relaxed. Feeling hemmed in or contracted is a sign that you are shutting down and not being as present as you could be.’

Are you being authentic to yourself?
We tend to neglect the little voices inside of us. We KNOW what we want and what can make us happy. But most of the time, we decide to turn a deaf ear to it. When people are not living in authenticity, they can easily experience stress and unfulfillment.

For instance, people go to work, because they have to. Imagine this: Well paid, working in one of the most prestigious companies in the region, all the employees are striving hard to achieve their goals, meet the sales target, be the best employee of the month, all through the year! What could be more challenging and rewarding to be the BEST among the rest? But is that your passion? The glory would soon be replaced by next month’s BEST, and your manager just gives you a pat at the back and says, ‘work harder next time’.

That’s just one of the millions of examples that are happening around the world. This brief happiness depends totally on people’s acknowledgement!

Is that what you’re after for the rest of your life? Following what the world wants? Or deep down inside, you know a temporary glory won’t fill up your spiritual need & emptiness. You know you’re more passionate about writing a novel, or enjoying the adventure of back-packing somewhere! Yes, the passion that keeps us alive everyday! The authentic self that’s tending to break through from within, and shouts for ‘freedom’!

Get In Touch With The Real You
It’s like when you’re in love with someone, you are always eager to cheer him/her up, know their needs, do whatever it takes to make them happy. That’s exactly what you should do: relax yourself, dip into the inner-most of your being, find out what you like/dislike, even the dreams that may have been forgotten for all this time. Knowing who you are, knowing what you want, and most of all, enjoying what you’re doing!

I love the saying that Mike Jeffs, Founder of Australian Christian TV shared during one of his talks, he said,
“Whatever your passion is, that is your vision!”
Doing what you love, and treating it as a lifetime commitment, because nothing could give you the same fulfillment that it does.

I love guitar, photo editing and most of all, writing. Even though I’m no expert in these fields, yet I never complain about the hardwork and time I spend on it. I feel well-adapted in my niche and no pressure at all! Another plus, you might even explore and maximize your potential, who knows? In the end, you could even achieve something greater than you ever imagined.

The Positive Outcomes From Being Authentic
When you get authentic with your own self, you are more optimistic and confident about your choices. You’re willing to take the initiative to be better, and while mastering it, being responsible for the outcomes.

Some people I know are living in denial, they’re doing whatever they can to please others, accepting whatever suggestions have been given to them, although deep down inside they feel uncomfortable with it. The reasons? For happiness and avoiding disputes as, ‘When everyone’s happy, I’m happy too’. Sure, you could be happy in that way, however, people might think you’re not up to the challenges; that you don’t have thoughts of your own and that you lack of credibility. Be yourself! There could be something about you that stands out, and people will appreciate you for it.

The same thing goes for relationships – remember when he/she first met you, there was something about you that attracted him/her, the quality you had before changing yourself entirely to suit his/her needs.

Your uniqueness could make a great contribution in some area of your relationship. It’s ok to be tolerant sometimes, but never until you lose your true identity.

Having said that, start being authentic to yourself, before you can be to other people. Believe it or not, you will notice a massive difference of your purposed-driven life and be amazed how far you can go with it!

Ching Ya owns a blog, http://wchingya.blogspot.com, on which she shares her interests in movies, drama, music, fun sites, and at times, her personal thoughts on events & happenings as well. It’s her passion to write, and she accepts post exchange/requests as well.