Being Authentic...

6th April,2011

Oscar Wilde once said "Most people are other people.Their thoughts are someone elses opinions,their lives a mimicry,their passions a quotation."

This statement got me thinking.Is the person I present to the world my true self or merely what I want the world to see me as? I consider myself an honest person,but at times I feel I have not been completely honest with myself & what I really want.

Our desire to be liked by everyone can at times overshadow what our true self needs, & our individuality can disappear into the ether of life.We want to be liked by our boss,liked by our friends & most importantly not just liked,but loved & wanted by those closest to us.But at what cost to our self does this constant need for approval exact.

The personal cost is,that we stay in jobs too long because we need the money & not because they enrich our lives,we stay in relationships too long,even when they may be toxic & no longer working just because we are afraid of being alone.We underparent our children,because we are scared that if we are too firm with them & expect more then they will not like us,forgetting that it is our job to parent our children first & foremost.

All the time whilst keeping everyone else happy, our own sense of self can slip away barely unnoticed until it is just a faded memory of what we once were & what we once dreamed about for ourselves.So I ask you,in light of Oscar Wildes words-who are you really?Is the persona you present to the world who you truly are?Because if we are not honest with ourselves & what we want from our lives,then we can never live an authentic life.It is only by being present & truly authentic that we will realise the true beauty of life & all it has to offer.Let me know what you think.

I hope you had a great day.xxx