Monday Mindset

The Wisdom of Authenticity

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Welcome to your first Monday Mindset! This week’s intention is all about:

The Wisdom of Authenticity

{Pssst - if you missed the Monthly Edition that was sent this weekend that highlighted our theme for September, you can hop over here to read it}

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“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

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You are you, right? So why would you need to work on showing up authentically in your time alone? Kudos to you if you’ve already got a strong sense of self and are staying true to that every day. Keep doing that thing!

For others of us, we learned how to mold ourselves to others’ expectations and demands, so much so that we may not even recognize the truth of who we are, what we want, or what we need. We need the pushes and prompts to look at ourselves, even if the reflection feels faint at times.

Authenticity begins with awareness. This mindful approach takes an honest look at what is true. Taking time to separate our identities from others’ ideas of us can help us tremendously to grow our inner awareness, and, in turn, meet ourselves with curiosity, compassion, and acceptance.

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If you want to strengthen your self-trust, allow yourself the permission to see what is in you without judgment or rushing to fix it. Try leaving your critic’s voice aside, and be gracious toward yourself. This is a simple exercise, though a powerful one. The more you practice it, the more attuned you will become to your inner world.

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Honesty and authenticity go hand in hand. Be brave enough to be honest about who you are and what you need. Be honest about your values, whether others share them or not. Honesty is a clarifier. Even when it stings in the moment, it brings greater clarity.

Roy T. Bennett said, “If you don’t know who you truly are, you’ll never know what you really want.” I would add, if you don’t know what you really want, you won’t be able to show up for yourself, let alone reach out to others for the support you need.

You don’t have to pretend to have it all together or be stronger than you are. You come to the table with what you have, and that is enough for this moment. When you have the courage to see yourself as you are, instead of denying your very real needs, your honest witness creates pathways of trust in your system.

Allow what is real, your true self, to be seen in this moment as you engage with the question of the day.

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What are three true things about you right now?

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In response to today’s mindful question, set a timer for three minutes and write down whatever comes to mind. The point is to write freely, to write what is true. Don’t overthink it! In fact, the less you think it through and the more readily you write, the better.

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After you have written it down, pick one of those true things and ask yourself another question:

What does this say about me? (ex: who I am, what I want, or what I need today)

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You’ve got this. I promise you. Every small step counts, and every movement matters. Pay attention this week; that’s all you’ve got to do.

Free subscribers, I’ll see you here next Monday. Paid subscribers, I’ll catch you on Wednesday with the Mid-Week Motivation. (Sign up with this code for 30 days of full access for free!)

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