The power of authenticity to live to your fullest potential
Authentic alignment is an ongoing process
You are here on Earth for a reason. Your soul has come here not to fit in a box and become a robot or replica of your neighbour. No. Your soul came here to experience the love and life through your own unique essence. Unfortunately, most of us have forgotten the very purpose of our human existence, which is to experience God/the universe/source/the Divine through our body, through our senses, through our voices, through our connection to nature, through our interactions with each other, through the pulsating rhythm of our own heartbeat.
We come in innocent, through the cosmic womb of the Great Mother, and emerge into this Earth curious, in wonder of this new world and how to navigate it. As babies we are already living authentically — we express our needs, we communicate our boundaries, we say “no” without guilt, we try new things without fear, we cry when we need something, we throw a tantrum, we shake, we dance, we ask questions, we are soft and open in our body.
Then we experience our first “separations” from our natural essence. We learn what “bad” and “good” are, we are told to “shut up and be quiet,” to “be a good girl/boy.” We are told things like “that is a stupid question,” “stop, you are making a fool of yourself,” “you will never be a x, y, z, etc…” We start suppressing our authentic expression in exchange for the love and approval of primary caregivers and peer group.
When we stray from our authenticity, we inevitably suffer. When we lose connection to our body, we suffer. When we suppress our emotions, we suffer. When we deny our desires, we suffer. When we hold back from sharing our voice, we suffer. When we resist our soul’s calling, we suffer. Every single time we abandon our own authentic self-expression, we suffer. In the name of what? Love and approval from our parents and peers.
Living authentically
So, what is the solution to this disheartening disconnection?
Living aligned with our authentic nature requires us to go on an inner journey of reclaiming our gifts we’ve kept hidden out of fear or shame. It invites us to remember our worth and to value ourselves enough to share our light. It asks us to offer ourselves the unconditional love and acceptance we all crave and deserve.
To live authentically is to allow yourself to fully express who you are in each moment. To be present to what is alive within your body, to what is true for you — the rawness, crunchiness, juiciness, joyfulness, aliveness. You get to feel it all and experience it all regardless of external expectations and pressures. And the best part? People will get to know the real you as you show up in the world with more honesty and vulnerability, in turn fostering deeper connection and intimacy.
Below are six tips to start creating more authentic alignment in your life
1. Explore the root causes that led you to want to avoid being yourself. Perhaps it was outside expectations? Or fear of judgment or failure? Fear of rejection, or of being hurt?
2. Create a safe sanctuary in your life. A sanctuary is a place of peace in which you can leave the distractions, interruptions, and chaos behind and be present in silent, deep reflection. It could be a quiet room at home, a place of worship, or a quiet spot in nature.
3. Get curious about your emotions. Pay attention to how you’re feeling. Tune into your body and your emotions. Is it frustration? Shame? Anxiety? Something else? Also, pay attention to the situations where it arises: what are you doing and who are you with? See if there are patterns.
4. Practice disciplined self-care regularly. It’s easy to become misaligned when you’re tired, overworked or burned out. Maintain healthy habits and rituals that bring you back to your heart and a state of inner peace.
5. Discover your core values. Your values are what you consider most important in life, what’s most worthy and valuable to you. Are you living in accordance with your values?
6. Discern what you are saying “yes” and “no” to. Without some sort of criteria or filter for the requests coming into your life, you can end up with days filled with things that are far afield from what you want to do. Feel into your body for what a full body “yes” and “no” feel like.
The key here is to be honest with yourself. If you can’t admit to yourself that you’re out of alignment, you’re unlikely to get it back. It also does not help if you’re too hard on yourself when you do stray. A little self-compassion will go a long way.
Remember that authentic alignment is an ongoing process. Expect to have ups and downs! The importance is to be self-aware, and to course correct when you feel yourself drift.
Sophia Wood Massicotte is a woman empowerment coach and feminine wisdom teacher. She has devoted her life’s work to supporting the reclamation of the Divine Feminine Power to experience more pleasure, joy & harmony. To find out more about Sophia and her offerings, visit her website at https://alkimiahealingarts.ca/ or email her directly at sophia@alkimiahealingarts.ca.