{"id":1028,"date":"2018-11-24T17:53:19","date_gmt":"2018-11-24T17:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=1028"},"modified":"2018-11-24T17:53:19","modified_gmt":"2018-11-24T17:53:19","slug":"living-authentic-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2018\/11\/living-authentic-life.html","title":{"rendered":"Living an Authentic Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"beautiful-bloom-blooming-1263985\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We live in a world in which many people don\u2019t live authentically. They hide who they really are from everyone.\u00a0 Perhaps they hide their sexual orientation.\u00a0 They may hide their past mistakes.\u00a0 Or they may hide the fact that they grew up in a poor or dysfunctional household.<\/p>\n

However, it is exhausting to try to hide who you truly are from the world. Pretending to be someone you are not is tiring. \u00a0But I understand why people do so.\u00a0 The world is a very judgmental place.\u00a0 And it takes a lot of self-confidence and emotional maturity to not care what other people think of you.\u00a0 But it is only when we stop worrying about what others think of us that we can start being ourselves and be happy.<\/p>\n

In order to live an authentic life, you need to be honest with the world about who you are – and who you are not. That means being truthful about the messier parts of your life.\u00a0 For instance, I grew up in a home that was very dysfunctional. Worse yet, when I was a teenager, my parents had a messy divorce.\u00a0 I, in turn, unfortunately divorced in my mid-forties.\u00a0 None of that is anything to brag about.<\/p>\n

But trying to hide these parts of my life won’t help me. These experiences have shaped who I am.\u00a0 They\u2019ve allowed me to know both the good and bad of human beings.\u00a0 And they have made me a more resilient person.\u00a0 I am tougher because I\u2019ve had to endure difficult experiences.\u00a0 Trying to hide these parts of my life due to embarrassment would prevent people from understanding me completely.<\/p>\n

It is shame that prevents us from being our authentic selves. We may be ashamed of who we are.\u00a0 Or we may be ashamed by what we have experienced, or what we have done.\u00a0 But there is no reason to ever be ashamed of any aspect of your life.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because God\u2019s opinion of you is the only one that matters.\u00a0 And God loves you just as you are.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve made mistakes, God forgives you, as you would forgive your own child if he or she made a mistake.<\/p>\n

God doesn\u2019t care about the messiness of your life, the mistakes you have made, or the imperfections of your personality. In fact, from God\u2019s point of view, these imperfections serve a very important purpose \u2013 they make you a better person.\u00a0 Your mistakes are there to keep you from being judgmental toward others.\u00a0 Your bad experiences are there to help you feel compassion for others who are suffering.\u00a0 And your imperfections are there to inspire you to seek God\u2019s help and counsel.<\/p>\n

So, you don\u2019t need to be afraid to be your authentic self. God loves you, and He is fully invested in using all your imperfections to help you become the best person that you can be.\u00a0 He will take the messiness of your life and use it in some creative way to improve you and benefit you.<\/p>\n

Once you start living your authentic life, you can start to relax. Trying to be someone you are not is exhausting.\u00a0 For instance, trying to appear to be rich when you are poor is a quick way to get into a lot of debt.\u00a0 People who try to appear to be rich end up buying clothes, cars, and houses that they cannot afford.\u00a0 Instead, be happy with what you have today.\u00a0 Take good care of your belongings.\u00a0 Live within your means and take pride in the fact that you are financially responsible.<\/p>\n

Trying to appear to be young when you are older likewise can lead to poor results.\u00a0 How often do we see women who otherwise would be quite beautiful, if they had not overdone cosmetic surgery.\u00a0 I will admit that growing older is hard.\u00a0 My face and body do not look the same as they did in my twenties.\u00a0 Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, \u201cMy neck!\u00a0 Why is my neck wrinkly?\u00a0 When did that happen??\u201d\u00a0 But I am learning to accept my body and face for what they are.\u00a0 So, I try my best to look as nice as possible with what I have.\u00a0 And to a certain extent, I enjoy the challenge!\u00a0 Looking good when you are in your twenties is a no-brainer.\u00a0 However, looking good when you are pushing 50 is an accomplishment!<\/p>\n

Another area in which people can be inauthentic is with regard to their sexual orientation. Pretending to be straight when you are gay leads to your lying to everyone.\u00a0 I know two women who are gay but who cannot bring themselves to be honest about who they are.\u00a0 As a result, they live double lives \u2013 the one that they share with their families and their work colleagues, and another secret life.\u00a0 It is a sad and stressful way to exist.\u00a0 In this day and age, there is no reason to lie about your sexual orientation.\u00a0 Yes, there may be some people who will disapprove of you, but those are an unenlightened few.\u00a0 Most educated people simply will not care one way or another.<\/p>\n

My best advice is this: Life authentically. Be who you are.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be ashamed of the unique person that God has made you to be.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be ashamed of your past or the mistakes that you\u2019ve made.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be ashamed that you are not as far along as you would like to be professionally, financially or in terms of emotional maturity.\u00a0 Each of us is a work-in-progress until the day that we die.\u00a0 Instead, let people know the real you. \u00a0By allowing others to see us for who we really are, we can then relax and truly enjoy life.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We live in a world in which many people don\u2019t live authentically. They hide who they really are from everyone.\u00a0 Perhaps they hide their sexual orientation.\u00a0 They may hide their past mistakes.\u00a0 Or they may hide the fact that they grew up in a poor or dysfunctional household. 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