HOW OFTEN DO YOU NOT SAY OR DO SOMETHING BECAUSE YOUR WORRIED ABOUT HOW IT'LL BE PERCEIVED ? FOR MOST OF US , MYSELF INCLUDED , THIS HAPPENS MORE THAN WE'D LIKE TO ADMIRE. WE LIVE IN A CULTURE THAT IS STARVING FOR ATHENTICITY. WE WANT OUR LEADERS , OUR CO - WORKERS , OUR FAMILY MEMBERS , OUR FRIENDS AND EVERYONE ELSE WE INTERACT WITH TO TELL US TRUTH AND TO BE THEMSELVES , MOST IMPORTANTLY , WE WANT TO HAVE THE PERSONAL FREEDOM AND CONFIDENCE TO SAY , DO AND BE WHO WE REALLY ARE WITHOUT WORRYING SO MUCH ABOUT HOW WE APPEAR TO OTHERS AND WHAT THEY MIGHT THINK OR SAY ABOUT US. SADLY , HOWEVER , EVEN THOUGH WE MAY SAY WE WANT TO LIVE IN A WAY THAT IS TRUE TO OUR DEEPEST PASSIONS , BELIEFS AND DESIRES , MOST OF US JUST DON'T . IT'S NOT THAT EASY . WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT BY OUR PARENTS , TEACHERS , SPOUSES , FRIENDS. CO- WORKERS , POLITICIANS, THE MEDIA AND OTHERS THAT IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO BE LIKED AND TO FIT IN THAN IT IS TO BE WHO WE TRUELY ARE. IN ADDITION , MANY OF US ASSUME THAT WHO WE ARE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH AND THEREFORE WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIX OURSELVES OR TO ACT LIKE OTHERS WHO WE THINK ARE BETTER THAN US. HOWEVER, AS THE FAMOUS 19TH CENTURY AUTHOR AND POET OSCAR WILDE SO BRILLIANTLY SATED ," BE YOURSELF -- EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN" WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE AUTHENTIC : AUTHENTICITY IS ABOUT ENJOYING A NEW SENSE OF FREEDOM TO BE WHO WE REALLY ARE - OURSELVES , NATURAL AND WITHOUT A MASK IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS OUR WORK AND OUR LIFE. IT TAKES COURAGE , COMMITMENT AND DEPTH TO : LOOK WITHIN OURSELVES TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH ( EVEN WHEN WE DON'T WANT TO ) TRUTH ( EVEN WHEN WE DON'T WANT TO )BE VUNLNERABLE ; ADMIT , OWN , SHARE OUR TRUE THOUGHTS , FEELINGS ,DISIREES , INSECURTIES , PASSIONS , EMBRASSMENTS , DREAMS. AND MORE. HOWEVER BEING OPEN AND REAL ABOUT ALL OF THESES THINGS * AND MORE )HOWEVER BEING OPEN AND REAL ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS ( AND MORE ) IS WHAT IT MEAN TO BE AUTHENTIC IN LIFE . IN ORDER TO UTILIZE THE POWER OF ATHENTICITY IN YOUR LIFE AS A WAY TO ENCHANCEYOUR RELATIONSHIPS, INCREASE YOUR FULFILLMENT AND EMPOWER YOURSELF USE THES FIVE KEY PRINCPLES AS A GUIDE . KNOW YOURSELF; THE FRIST ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF OUR JOURNEY TO LIVE THE MORE AUTHENTIC , MEANINGFUL AND FULING LIFE, IS TO KNOW WHO WE ARE AT TRULY ARE AT THE DEEPEST LEVEL. KNOWING OURSELVES , LIKE BEING AUTHENTIC ITSELF , IN A LIFELONG PROCESSTHE MORE DELIBERATE WE ARE ABOUT THIS HOWEVER , THE MORE .WE CAN GROW AND EVOLVE CONSCIOUSLY . FOR ME , KNOWING MYSELF HAS BEEN AND AT TIME SEEMS TO BE , ALITTLE TRICKY.FOR MANY YEARS,I THOUGHT "KNOWING MYSELF"MEANT KNOWING ABOUT MYSELF ( MY STORY , MY ISSUES , MY DRAMS. WHERE I'D BEEN , WHAT I WENT THROUGH , ECT. ) WHILE KNOWING ABOUT OURSELVES IS IMPORTA, IT'S ONLY A SMALL PIECE OF WHO WE REALLY ARE. BEING FULLY AWARE OF OURSELVES IS ABOUT LOOKING MORE DEEPLY WITHIN. THIS CAN CHALLENGING , CONFUSING AND SCARY FOR SOME OF US , MYSELF INCLUED. WE OFTEN AREN'T SURE WHERE TO . LOOK WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ASPECTS OF OURSELVES WE DON'T UNDERSTAND OR EVEN LIKE. THERE ARE TIMES I FIND MYSELF WANTING TO AVOID OR DENY CERTAIN ASPECTS OF MYSELF , RATHER THAN CONFRONT THEM AND DEAL WITH THEM DIRECTLY BASED ON MY OWN FEAR OR JUDGMENT .HOWEVER , AS WE 'RE WILLING TO REALLY GO WITHIN OURSELVES , KNOW WHO WE ARE AND MAKE PEACE WITH OURSELVES , KNOW WHO WE ARE AND MAKE PEACE WITH OURSELVES , WE CAN CREATE WHAT WE TRULY WANT IN LIFE .