What Does It Mean To Be Authentic?

”The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” — Carl Jung

Honest, integral, truthful-we often hear how authentic people encapsulate these traits, but what does it really mean to be authentic-and how do we become our most authentic selves? Most people are like actors-in life, we play several different roles depending on our environments and the company we’re in. In public, we become the people we think the world wants us to be, but that does not always align with who we are when we are by ourselves.

To be truly authentic, we have to be the most truthful versions of ourselves in private as well as in public; our lives should be guided and given meaning by our code of values. This can feel frightening at first. We all sometimes put up walls to shield us from what we fear, and being open and honest all the time also leaves us vulnerable to hurt and pain, in our relationships as well as from the world around us.

However, it’s important to remember that while this can be scary, aligning our lives with our authentic selves can untap our potential for deeper and more meaningful relationships, making us happier. Being authentic also makes us more present. We can follow our passions without fear of judgment, we can love and accept love without barriers, and we can embrace ourselves with all our flaws since we’re focusing on living truthfully. Once we embrace our authentic selves, we will be guided by open, honest thoughts and actions, and eventually, this will lead to a greater sense of fulfillment since we will feel more of an alignment with our deeper values.