Have you ever struggled with a foggy concept of who you really are and the true nature of your life’s calling? You may have found yourself working in a job or business that leaves you sapped of strength, void of passion and being tossed to a fro like a small boat on a stormy ocean. If you are feeling adrift in your life, there is a good chance you may have lost touch with your authentic self for the moment.
It never ceases to amaze me how life’s daily grind and our culture can wear away our clarity about who we were created to be. Between friends, family, co-workers or business partners – we are often pressured to behave in certain ways that appeal to all of them but not to us. We may have even chosen certain friendships or relationships that don’t suit us, but because we are expected to be “nice” – we soldier on in relationships where the other person is not able to accept us as we are.
When you run your own business or work with others in your career, authenticity is extremely important. When we stay true to our unique personality, use our unique voice to express our view and market our businesses in ways that remain true to the essence of who we are – we succeed. If you feel like you have to work too hard to grow your business or grow in your career, it is possible that you have begun to accept concepts, marketing methods, and a business or work style that is not in alignment with your authentic self.
How do you find your authentic self again – and allow it to unfold in your life, your relationships and your work?
- Start by asking yourself this question: “When I look back over my life (even back into childhood), what was I doing and how was I expressing myself at those times when I felt the best physically, emotionally and spiritually?” Write out some memories in answer to this question.
- Take a really good personality assessment. I recommend the MBTI® (Myers Briggs Type Indicator). Once taken, study the results to the point that you really understand what motivates you, what energizes you, how you prefer to make decisions, how you handle time and what type of information you prefer to pay attention to first.
- Activate your right brain and let your creativity spill out to give you clues about finding your way back to your authentic self. One example might be to doodle with a pen, colored pencils, or markers – see what shapes appeal to you the most. Do you prefer soft, curving lines, or the sharp edges of a square or rectangle? Are you drawn to the triangle or do you like elliptical shapes?
- Pray and/or meditate. Ask God to show you who were created to be. Ask God to give you words or images that will clue you in on your life purpose. Write out any thoughts that come to you no matter how random they may seem.
- Talk to family or friends who have known you a long time (whom you trust to be non-judging) and ask them what traits they see consistently in you and what they think you are good at.
Sometimes, we have strayed so far from who we really are that we may need help from an objective person to help us dig for the treasure of our authentic self. Living your life, interacting in relationships and doing the work that flows from your authentic self will bring the success of feeling fulfilled.
You will be the most effective version of you if you stop living up to everyone else’s concept of who you should be and just allow your sense of self to flow from the core of your being.