🏵️Your Authentic Self: Beyond the Myths and Into Reality 🏵️
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about this whole “authentic self” thing. What does that even mean, really?
The term gets tossed around in practically every self-help book I’ve picked up, as if we’re all supposed to just nod along knowingly. But here’s what I’ve realized after years of personal work – it means something different to each of us. There isn’t some universal definition we can all point to.
At our core, sure, maybe we have what some traditions call an eternal soul, something that remains constant beneath all the changes we go through. But that essence – that core self – isn’t something you can easily define or package up neatly. It’s too vast for that. Too sacred, honestly.
Yet for this soul-self to exist in our physical world, it needs some way to express itself through our everyday lives and choices.
🏵️ The Myth That’s Been Driving Me Crazy
Let me just say something I wish someone had told me a decade ago: there is no magical “authentic self” hiding somewhere inside you waiting to be discovered like some buried treasure. God, I wasted so much time believing this myth, and it left me feeling like I was somehow failing when I couldn’t just stumble upon this perfect, hidden version of myself.
I remember sitting in a workshop once where the leader asked us to “find our authentic selves” through meditation. I sat there feeling increasingly frustrated, wondering why everyone else seemed to be having these profound revelations while I just had a cramping leg and racing thoughts.
The authentic self isn’t found – it’s revealed. It’s already there, just covered up. That distinction changed everything for me.
🏵️ What I’ve Come to Understand About Authentic Self
Your authentic self is really just a reflection of your true will. Not so mystical when I put it that way, huh?
This isn’t something that magically appears after you attend the right retreat or read enough books (trust me, I’ve tried both approaches). It emerges when you do the actual work of removing what’s in the way.
I used to think finding my authentic self meant making dramatic life changes – quitting my job, moving somewhere exotic, completely reinventing myself. I was wrong. Those external changes might sometimes be expressions of your authentic self, but they’re not the thing itself.
It’s much simpler and simultaneously much harder. It’s you without all the noise. You without the barriers to your true will.
It’s the raw power of your deepest intentions when they’re not being smothered by fear, doubt, or what your mother-in-law thinks you should be doing with your life.
🏵️ A Visualization That’s Actually Helped Me
I want to share a visualization practice that’s genuinely helped me connect with my authentic self.
Fair warning: doing this once won’t change your life. I’ve been at it for months, and some days it still feels like I’m just talking to myself. Other days, though? Pure clarity.
🌿 The Roots and Branches Visualization: 🌿
Find somewhere quiet to sit or lie down. I usually do this on my living room floor with the phone on silent. No need for fancy cushions or incense (though if that helps you, go for it).
Take a few deep breaths. Not because it’s spiritual, but because it literally helps calm your nervous system. I usually count to four on the inhale, hold for a second, then exhale for six.
Imagine yourself as a tree. Your body is the trunk, solid and present. Feel yourself becoming heavier, more grounded as you settle into this image.
Now, feel roots extending from the base of your body down into the earth. These roots push past the surface layers, through old memories, past pain, through social conditioning, down into rich, dark soil.
As your roots extend deeper, feel them brushing against something solid and warm. This is your true will, your authentic core. Don’t try to define it or name it – just feel its presence.
Draw that energy up through your roots, through your trunk-body. Feel it filling you, warming you from the inside.
As this energy reaches your upper body, imagine it extending outward as branches and leaves – the expressions of your authentic self in the world.
Ask yourself: “What is one thing my authentic self wants to express today?” Just listen for the first thought that comes, however small or seemingly insignificant.
Before ending, make a mental note of this insight and commit to one tiny action that honors it.
Take a few more breaths and gently return your awareness to the room.
Sometimes I do this for five minutes, sometimes for twenty. Some days I get profound insights; other days I just get a reminder to drink more water or call my sister. Both are valid.
The authentic self isn’t some grand revelation that happens once and transforms your life forever. It’s an ongoing conversation. Some days the reception is clear; other days, it’s static.
What matters most is that you keep showing up, however imperfectly. Your authentic self isn’t going anywhere – it’s been there all along, just waiting for you to turn down the volume on everything else so you can finally hear what it’s been trying to tell you.
Anyone else tried practices like this? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear what’s worked for you.
Astrid
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