An Authentic Life
Jan 01, 2020
Like an itch, you can feel uncomfortable when you're not living your deepest truth.
You live half truths for yourself when you do work you don't love. Or when you stay in a relationship that's gone south or don't say what you think or doubt your self worth.
(That's why you love yoga....it never fails to bring you back to feeling, well, feeling YOU.)
But outside of class?
Doing YOU all the time doesn't always feel easy. It gets complicated. You've got responsibilities and other people to consider.
I get it.....You might not be ready to switch jobs or partners yet.
So here are 3 ways you can feel better about your life and live with more authenticity every day.
#1 FIND MIND/BODY BALANCE
It's common to get out of balance as an adult.
As a kid you ran around all day and used your body a lot. Now, as an adult you might sit most of the day, stuck in your head, at your computer and your body gets ignored.
Life requires you to think, plan and analyze. This puts you into head energy.
You need to connect to and understand others at work and at home. This puts you into heart energy.
Head and heart are useful places - don't get me wrong!
But you don't live life only in your head or heart - you live life in your body too.
There's an imbalance when you spend all your waking hours only in your head or heart. If you don't regularly move your body, stress, struggle and anxiety build. The result? You are less than your best self.
WHAT TO DO:
Balance out your energy by focusing more on your body again.
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Get into your body for 30 to 60 minutes every day - walk, dance, workout.
#2 QUIET YOUR INNER CRITIC
I've made peace with the fact that I have an inner critic. She's there and doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.
You have one too. (C'mon, admit it.)
Your inner critic separates you from your authentic self. The critic's power lies in trying to scare you into staying safe instead of playing all out.
Your critic never stops telling you that you're always behind, doing the wrong thing and generally screwing things up royally. She whispers about all your mistakes and shortcomings. And why you can't have the life you really want.
You don't have to believe her voice!
Quiet down your inner critic with a few skillful practices.
WHAT TO DO:
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Train your brain to recognize when your inner critic is speaking.
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Record your wins - big and small. Mentally review how you showed up that day as you drift to sleep.
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Affirmations and mantras will drown out the critic's voice.
#3 DITCH SELF DOUBT
Early in childhood you looked to your parents, teachers and peers. You did this for survival, to make the grade, get a job or to just fit in.
You thought you needed to conform to accepted ways of being and doing. You might have shut down or stopped trusting your own inner direction and instincts.
This might work to fit in with the average high school crowd. But over time it erodes your self confidence and ability to know what is authentic for you.
WHAT TO DO:
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Notice what energizes and inspires you as you go through the day.
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Make more instant decisions. Your gut reaction is often your truth.
WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE?
It's a choice to live your life with authenticity.
To make that choice, you need to stay balanced, confident and take actions that feel true for you.
Take a step towards a more authentically you life by:
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Balancing your energy by spend focused time in your body, mind and heart every day.
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Acknowledge your inner critic, then decide you aren't believing her anymore.
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Build your confidence by taking inspired action daily on what's important to you
