AUTHENTIC LIVING

     It is a great gift to be without pretense; to be genuine, human, fallible; to be able to laugh at ourselves. It is attractive and desirable to be authentic and without apology. But self-consciousness comes so easily. We are awkward and unsure. We keep adjusting our clothing and fixing our hair. And in so doing, we draw attention to our uneasiness, and we do not inspire confidence, not in ourselves, or others.
     When we feel good about ourselves, other people like to be around us, because we give them permission to feel good too. We don't make excuses for our imperfections, so they don't have to either. There is an energy of acceptance about us. We are ok, so they are ok. We're not high on judgment or pretending to be something that we are not. We can be silly and have fun. We're not afraid of what others might think.
     Authenticity is like the open air. It is spacious and allowing. Pretension, on the other hand, feels rigid and critical; tight. So let's not worry about being perfect, just for today. Let's not try to impress anyone. Let's just relax and enjoy the feeling of being who we are exactly where we are. Behaving in such a manner attracts good things to us, and appreciative people. There is nothing quite like the energy of simple happiness. Let's allow it in our lives.

I leave self-consciousness behind and let myself be myself, exactly as I am.