Create More Authentic Moments
Each year the folks at Merriam-Webster pick a word for the year. They analyze the look-up volume on their dictionary website and determine a word that had a substantially higher search rate for that year. For example,…
Each year the folks at Merriam-Webster pick a word for the year. They analyze the look-up volume on their dictionary website and determine a word that had a substantially higher search rate for that year. For example, the words for 2020 and 2021 were pandemic and vaccine.
Can you guess the word for 2023/24?
Drum roll…..the word is authentic.
Driven by worries about artificial intelligence, doctored news reports, and social media with altered photos, people are worried about what is truthful. The company research revealed that people are wondering what they can trust and whether they can believe their own eyes and ears.“We don’t always trust what we see anymore,” reported the editor-at-large at Webster’s.
Although being an authentic person is somewhat hard to define, it is often described as someone who is true to their own personality, is truthful, and lives according to their values. They express their wants and desires and own their unique gifts.
The Latin root of the word authentic is “author.” An authentic person, then, becomes the author of their own life. What a great way to describe Creator, the central role of TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic)®!
However, the truth is, not telling the truth and even lying, is common. Researchers who study the effects of lying report that people tell between 3-6 lies a day, and on average 60% of people lie at least once in a ten-minute conversation.“I’m fine” is perhaps the most common “lie” in response to “How are you?” when, in fact, we may not be okay at all. Lies about our emotions top the list of frequent false statements, claiming we are happy when we really are upset or bothered by something. Learning to be impeccable with our words and how we represent ourselves is essential to live an authentic, empowered life.
The difficulty is that much of modern life is lived automatically and it is easy to be unconscious of our gifts, wants, and needs. Our “little white lies” may appear harmless but can eventually contribute to living an inauthentic life.
Life is a series of moments. Will the choices you make in the moment guide you toward more authenticity, or will you choose to hide your true self? The choices you make in each moment will determine the life you create.
Authentic moments also include knowing when to hold back and not share to protect yourself or others. Choosing authentic moments takes practice, reflection, and learning to trust yourself. Here are a few questions to increase more authentic moments:
- In what kind of moments do you feel fully authentic?
- What kind of moments do you choose to be less than authentic?
- How do you feel in moments when you are not authentic?
- What moments support you to share your true self?
Living life one authentic moment at a time is a lot easier than focusing on colossal challenges that can easily overwhelm you. It takes time, trial, and error to manifest what you most want. It also means that you're willing to tell the truth to yourself and to those around you at work and home.
We all want a more peaceful, kind, and just world, but the world feels a bit like a mess right now and full of challenges. You may question what you can do or how to contribute. The place to start is being true to yourself one authentic moment at a time.
Choosing to live in more authentic moments can have an enormously positive impact on your life so you can be in service to a better world.