"Authenticity is the new currency"

I was listening to a conversation yesterday and heard the words "Authenticity is the new currency".  As the words hit my ears, my soul screamed "YES! YES! YES!  What if we humans were all living authentically and that is how we interacted - wow, can you imagine the impact!

Authenticity defined:  the quality of being authentic. 

It sounds so simple ... just be authentic ... and yet we humans find this to be a challenging and confronting way to live.  How many of us are truly living authentically?  I am at times and other times I am not.  I think fear and worry about what others think are big stoppers of being authentic.  When we want approval from others we are giving our authenticity and personal power away.

I am intrigued to imagine what life would be like if we were all living an authentic life?  What would be possible?  I imagine we would not have to second guess what people say, we would have more trust, we would be more connected, we would be so much more free, we would ... you fill in the blank.

Have you ever noticed when you interact with someone who is authentic you are attracted to them.  I often think "I want to be their friend."  I think we yearn to be with people who are living authentically because they are easier to be around - we don't have to second guess their words or motives.  Their authenticity is an invitation for me to be authentic and it feels like a gift.  And I believe if we lived as if "authenticity is the new currency" many things would change for the better.

I believe living authentically is inline with living empowered.  And, I believe living empowered is a lifestyle and it is something we strive for each day.  Here is what I believe about living an authentic/empowered life:

• You create your impact, rather than you just let it happen
• You give life to your creativity and dreams
• You claim your life force energy and live empowered
• You own your greatness and embrace it
• You stay committed to the conversation, even when it's hard to listen
• You stretch yourself and work at living vulnerable
• You live your heart when you hear it speak
• You design the life you want and live free to be you
• You create a life where you are deciding and consciously designing your life.

I am going to challenge you.  Today, notice where you are not being authentic and get curious about it.  What prevented you from being authentic?  What was the impact to you to not be authentic - was there a cost to you?  What might you have done differently to be authentic?  Being curious allows you to look at your behavior from a place of learning and gives you the opportunity to expand who you are as a person.  

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”  ― Carl Gustav Jung

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