Living Authentically: Why It Matters & How to Do It [1]

Over the last few years I’ve been really interested in the term “Authenticity.” Partly because it is thrown around so much and sounds pretty pretentious. And partly because I spent so much of my life consciously and unconsciously trying to define myself in a singular, unified way.  I thought living authentically meant figuring out the one label that best described me [2] and then tailoring all my choices and actions into that one type.

It’s kind of like the stereotypical high school archetypes: the jocks, the nerds, the drama geeks, etc. When we associate with a distinct identity or group, we feel certain and safe. We know what to say and how to act. The problem is that human beings aren’t that simple. We’re complex, ever-changing, and inconsistent. As we develop more mature ways of thinking about ourselves, we feel conflicted: We acknowledge growth, yet still want a unified and consistent identify that we can hang our hat on at any given moment. It doesn't matter if we label ourselves in a positive or negative light, a single identity creates stagnation.