Losing Your Way

People like to see the real you and to know who you really are.  The words “authentic or authenticity” are always being said and people always say that they are looking for people that are real and authentic.

What does being authentic really mean?

Authenticity

Authenticity is when you are being who you are and you are listening to yourself.  You don’t let the world make decisions for you and you accept who you are and honor yourself above everything else.

Selling Out

When you are not authentic, people say that you put other things above yourself.  They say that you are selling yourself out.  This means that you are putting what is important to you in a box and you are making decisions based on other people’s beliefs and ideas.  Many people sell out for fame or fortune.

Authentic Versus Selling Out

Being authentic is when you know what you are doing, and you are real with it.  You don’t change things because you want to please someone.  An authentic piece of art means that it was drawn or painted by the artist and it was given a title because he or she made the work.  If someone tells the artist to change something about the painting, he or she won’t do it because then it won’t be authentic anymore.

Signs You Are Selling Out

No one is perfect and perfection is just a word.  There will be points in everyone’s life where they will make the decision to sell out.  They will compromise what they believe in and this is all part of life.

Even though we can’t be perfect people, we can love ourselves and be honest with ourselves.  We can stop ourselves from making bad choices.

Here are some signs you are selling out:

• You only care about making money.
• You are obsessed with how many likes you get on social media.
• You let other ideas control you.
• You let people tell you who you should be.
• You follow trends even if you don’t like them.
• You only talk about the good parts of yourself.
• You copy other people.
• You ignore your gut feelings.
• You are fake.
• You are scared of expressing your feelings.
• You make decisions based on how popular it will make you.

Look at the list and see if any of those relate to you.

Stop Being a Sell Out

If you want to be authentic, you have to let things go.  You have to decide that you are doing what is right and genuine.  You have to offer the world what you have and not let others decide what or who you are.  Do not let external things control you.

You have the choice to make good decisions and to do things that are best for you.  Make choices that go with your vision and choices that allow you to live an honest life.

When you are authentic, you are smarter than you know.  You listen to your heart and you let your soul give you advice.  You don’t care about being popular or having money and you don’t let your ego control you.  When you do those things, you become empty and frustrated with yourself and with others.

You need to let your passions and your values guide you.  Here are some ways to follow your heart:

• See how the decisions make you feel. Do you feel happy when you make a decision, or do you feel dark?  Your body and mind won’t lie to your and your gut will tell you the truth.  Pay attention to your gut and if you feel heavy, don’t do it.
• Have good priorities. Care about what you think and how something makes you feel. Don’t worry about having a bunch of followers or making other people happy.  Making money is okay but not when it comes to selling out.  Explore what you want in life and what your passions and visions are.  Follow your desires.
• Explore areas in your life where you aren’t being authentic and change them. You might need to do some inner reflecting.  Get free of these things and write down all of the choices you have made and why.
• Make good choices even if they are hard. Have integrity and do what is true.  Don’t worry if you lose some things.  Journal your thoughts and ideas and be organized.
• Use self-compassion with yourself and love yourself. Change if you have to.  See how it feels to change and to do better in life.  Stop making bad choices.  Accept that you are human and embrace your mistakes but stop making them.