I have been described in many ways. Some are positive and others aren’t so positive. And who knows what people have said about me that I haven’t even heard. One of the things I have always taken great pride in being described as is, authentic.
Authentic people are more confident with less self-doubt, are more effective in many ways, experience better relationships, tend to be better leaders, feel more energetic and are more enthusiastic than those who aren’t as authentic.
There are times in my life when I wasn’t being authentic – maybe trying to belong somewhere that just wasn’t a fit for me, or trying to impress someone by being someone I wasn’t. Those times of inauthenticity are some of the most uncomfortable and unpleasant memories I have. Being authentic always leaves me feeling better, happier, and able to better enjoy the moment and add value.
Below are some ways you can practice your authenticity and become a more authentic person, which will add value to your life.
1) Be honest. Share your opinion. Don’t be rude or crass about it, simply be honest. Be straight with your honesty. Don’t hedge your comments.
2) When it comes to conversation, seek quality input over quantity. When you do share, make it meaningful and impactful to the conversation.
3) Let go. Let go of anger, resentment, hurt and ill-will. Don’t let those things eat away at you and impact your relationships. It isn’t worth it. I promise.
4) Be sincere when giving compliments. An insincere compliment is worse than no compliment at all.
5) Figure out who you are and embrace it. Change what you don’t like (negative attitude, anger issues, poor leadership, etc.) and build what you do like. Know yourself well.
6) Admit stuff. Why hide things? Admitting things makes you real. Be real. Be authentic.
7) Say no or say yes but only when you mean it. If you don’t want to say yes to an invite, don’t. If you want to say no to an invite, go ahead without feeling guilty.
8) Be cautious of your non-verbal behaviors and expressions. You could be the most authentic person you know when it comes to your thoughts and what you might say, but if your non-verbal behavior doesn’t match your authenticity, you aren’t being viewed as authentic.
Authenticity is an admirable characteristic that can be improve with practice. You can choose one in the list above and work on it for a week or a month until you see improvements and your new way of thinking becomes habit. Then move on to the next item. Authenticity is a great leadership trait to have, but is also good for anyone even those not currently in a leadership role.