Do who you are

I am living authentically

Being my authentic self is when I bring who I am and what I do into alignment.  The more I nourish my authentic self the more I see an increase in joy and serenity.

No reward is worth the price of selling-out my authentic self. There are many opportunities everyday to compromise myself. I think it rarely comes as a dramatic moment that forces me to choose if I will be true to who I am. I believe it most often occurs as a multitude of tiny transactions where I give up a little piece at a time.  I nickle and dime my authentic self until it feels like I am lost, and bankrupt. A tiny lie, looking the other way, giving in, making concessions, striking a deal, and pretending erodes away my authenticity a small piece at a time.  No amount of fitting in, pain avoidance, uncertainty reduction  or false acceptance is worth the cost of losing my authentic self. 

I am faithfully fighting for my true self daily. If I begin to feel I have lost myself I don't have to go searching for it, just make a choice to reclaim it.

Affirming

 I can, will, and do affirm my best self

When I affirm myself I am taking a desire or claim that I know in my mind to be true and by speaking it aloud I bridge the gap between my head and my heart. From that act of intention I attach an emotion that will power my desire into reality.

What needs affirming in your life today?

A heaping plate of me

I am nourishing the me I want to be

I am beautifully imperfect.  I have the capacity for love, anger, fear, hope, compassion, greed, envy, humility, hatred and all the best and worst of what it means to be human. I haven't always wanted to admit to the dark potential I hold but to deny something or ignore it only gives it strength.

If I feed bitterness it will grow, if I look for ways to be forgiving it will expand. My choice in every circumstance and experience is not what parts of my humanness is exposed, but which of those parts of me I will nourish and allow to grow.  I will allow myself to feel it all and then expand the parts of me that are consistent with my authentic self.

What opportunities do I have to nurture who I want to be today?