A lot of people feel as if they are wearing a mask in their day-to-day lives. They often believe that they are required to act in a certain manner around their boss or say particular things to their friends, in order to be accepted by them. Rather than being their authentic self, many individuals spend their life in playing a role to fit in or impress others. They tell others what they want to hear rather than the truth, and act in ways that goes against their nature. Living life in such a manner gets confining, dispiriting and tiring over time. It often holds people back from reaching their true potential as well. Hence, it is better that people seek out the assistance of spiritual teachers like Teal Swan and try to lead life more authentically. When a person gives themselves the permission to truly be their own self, they are able to live life free of the expectations and ideas of others, and select their own course in life.
There are multiple definitions of authenticity, based on the diverse perspective of varied scholars, psychologists and philosophers. But a common definition of being authentic is to lead life as per the own values and goals, instead of listening to other people. In simple terms, being authentic means that a person is true to their own personality, sprit and values, no matter the type of pressure they face to act otherwise. An authentic person would be honest with their own self and others, and always try to take responsibility for their mistakes. The actions, values and ideals of these individuals always align. Therefore, they do come across as a genuine person, and tend to be willing to accept the consequences of being true to what they think are right.
Leading life authentically is easier said than done. At times, being true to a person’s own self would imply to going against the crowd. It might involve taking the harder road, being unconventional and opening up to the possibility of getting hurt by others. It can also mean missing out on certain opportunities. People need to accept the harsh realities they might come across when they are being their unfiltered self. In the long term, however, they are likely to come across a lot more opportunities than people who tend to be vacillating, shifty, conflicted and inauthentic. Moreover, leading an authentic life is way more rewarding than trying to hide one’s true self. When people live authentically, they do not have to worry about what they said, how they acted, or whether they said the right thing or not. Living authentically implies to trusting one’s own self and motivations implicitly.
Teal Swan is a powerful voice in the domain of authenticity, self-alignment and empowerment, and metaphysics. The ideology behind her authenticity movement is that the fast-paced modern world is built on pretense instead of authenticity.