THE PRIVILEGE OF A LIFETIME IS BEING WHO YOU ARE.

This above all: To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

- Hamlet, Shakespeare

No one man can, for any considerable time, wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which is the true one,” Nathaniel Hawthorne claims. The word “Authenticity” has its etymology from the Greek word authentikos meaning original, genuine, and principal. From autos “self” and hentes “doer, being”.” Your authentic self is who you really are deep down. “Authenticity happens when your words, actions, and behaviors consistently match your core identity,” says David Hanscom. Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung open our eyes to the realization of the prerogative of our finite existence in this world with the very words of the title to this article. Life may appear without meaning until we bring meaning to it. This exhorts us to be authentic, to build our life from the very foundation of our being, self-being.

“Be yourself; everybody else is already taken,” says Oscar Wilde. To be authentic means accepting who you are, what you do well, having the courage and self-confidence to share that in the world. To be one’s self in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. However, what does it take one to become authentic?

The very first step to this is defining and embracing one’s strengths. Our positives are one of the most energizing ways that we can tap into our authenticity. The wonderful thing about strengths is that using them is often easy and fun, and they usually deliver one the best results.

Values such as practicality, reliability, resourcefulness, and self-actualization are like a set of trail markers toward living a life of meaning therefore exploring one’s values is crucial. Living authentically means that you live according to the values and beliefs that you hold most dear, and that the personal goals that you pursue emerge from them.

There are some habits and behaviors in life that we do because of our internal motivators and drivers. Others are more driven from external source for instance social groups or societal norms. It is important to establish one’s own meaningful goals and focus on steps to achieve them. That is precisely acknowledging external versus internal influence.

Being able to identify and name one’s emotions and feelings is vital simply because it helps one to step back and make a sound judgment for his choices and reactions. “The closer you stay to emotional authenticity and people, character authenticity, the less you can go wrong. That's how I feel now, no matter what you're doing,” says David O. Russell.

There is no way one can discover himself without meditation and reflection. Self-mindfulness and reflection help one to get to know himself and boast one’s self-esteem. When we are mindful, we are leaning in and listening to what is true and matters in the midst of the external forces, pressures, and influences

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Social support system is a network of people – friends, family, and peers – that we can turn to for emotional and practical support. No man can live as an island therefore building and participating in the social support system helps one to develop self and learn from others.

Developing the courage to face one’s fears makes one strong and determined to live up to the authenticity of self without regress. Part of living authentically is to not let the stories you can tell yourself get in the way of what you truly want.

Keep in mind that authenticity is a practice, which means it takes patience, time and dedication to do it. One way one can build his muscle of authenticity is to take small, daily actions that align with his values. It is simply a matter of taking daily actions towards authenticity.

However, how can one maintain the authenticity developed? The very first step to this is, “walking the talk”. Several qualities that accompany authenticity are being honest, trustworthy, down to earth and real. It is worth its weight in gold for one to follow through with his commitments to generate a sense of trust from others. Let the words march with your actions. Walking the talk creates a positive sense of inspiration to others and induces trust. Meredith Monk tells us that; to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something. “How desperately difficult it is to be honest with oneself. It is much easier to be honest with other people. What is true is invisible to the eye. It is only with the heart that one can see clearly,” Antoine de Saint-Exupery stated. Therefore, honesty begins with self to others.

There is no need to fake anything personally. Embrace the fact that one cannot please everyone. “People-pleasing” is one of the greatest obstacles to living authentically. However, what is this obstacle? It means adapting constantly to other people’s needs in order to gain their approval.

It is better to learn to say no and to define one’s own boundaries. “We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity,” Barbara de Angelis urges us. Setting boundaries is not a matter of being mean or inflexible, but rather an act of self-care. Without self-knowledge, it can be difficult to know which boundaries to set.

Always do your best. Living authentically does not mean life is perfect or easy. Actually, Coco Chanel says, “Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity”. It does, though mean that one is more aware about what his priorities are, has a greater sense of clarity and energy for what is important and, he feels less riddled with self-doubt about who he is trying to be in the world.

In a word, authenticity is the bedrock of well-being. The trait is correlated with self-esteem, purpose, vitality, and the ability to set and accomplish goals. It is also linked to coping skills that allow people to navigate life’s challenges in healthy ways, rather than resorting to self-destructive habits such as drugs or alcohol, and it may act as a buffer against the negative effects of loneliness.