Article – Be Authentic To Flourish

Key Points:

Across all religions and traditions, prophets, philosophers and sages have emphasized on leading an authentic life. Living authentically means being true to ourselves, our values, and our beliefs, even when faced with societal pressures or expectations.

“To be authentic, we must cultivate the courage to be imperfect — and vulnerable. We have to believe that we are fundamentally worthy of Love and acceptance, just as we are.”— Brené Brown

According to the American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

As adults we are governed by false narratives that are dominant in our societies. We allow these false narratives to dictate our lives because we live compulsively, instead of consciously.

Embracing authenticity allows us to explore our true self, understand our passions, strengths, and weaknesses. This self-awareness is essential for personal growth and development.

Living authentically reduces internal conflicts and stress caused by trying to fit into societal expectations. It allows us to express ourselves genuinely, leading to better emotional well-being and a sense of fulfillment and greater happiness in life.

Authenticity is closely tied to personal integrity. Being authentic means acting in ways that are consistent with our values and principles, which enhances our sense of integrity.

In a world surrounded by the noise of who we should be and what we should want, it is sometimes difficult to stay true to our own authentic self, or even being aware of what our authentic self looks like in the first place.

Most religions encourage us to focus on self discovery and self realization. Christianity reminds the followers that human beings are created in the image of God and one can seek help from the Holy Spirit to guide them to live in accordance with God’s will. According to Islam, the basic “Fitrat” or human nature is pure but gets corrupted by worldly influences. Hinduism reminds the followers that our “Atman” or self is the same as “Brahman” or the Divine. Taoism views self as an extension of the cosmos. According to Lao-Tzu, the greatest gift we have to give is that of our own self- transformation.

One of the benefits of an active spiritual life is the recognition of our authentic self. By exploring the views of religious traditions, we can find insight and wisdom on how to clear away the cobwebs of the socialized self, which hinders our growth.

If we look at a young child at play, they seldom share these worldly concerns. Like a flower that needs the correct balance of air, water and sun to fully blossom, children only want to love, learn and play-and are in the state of flourishing when they engage in these three essential pursuits. If the key to flourishing is deeply engaging in loving, learning and playing, then why, in all our wisdom and experience, don’t we do this too?

This is for one simple reason: as adults we are governed by false narratives that are dominant in our societies. We allow these false narratives to dictate our lives because we live compulsively, instead of consciously. We reject what we truly want and need in favor of being driven by societal forces that want to make us other than who we truly are.

The state of flourishing seems like an impossible target, a state only reached when we have achieved wealth, success and other worldly markers. There is a beautiful parable in Hindu texts: a deer runs as she is captivated by the scent of musk, not realizing that the musk she is smelling is inside her all along. We are like that deer. We can manufacture happiness and meaning inside us through acts of loving, learning and playing while engaging with the phenomenal world outside. It has always existed within ourselves. It is for this reason I established the framework that I now call ‘LLP’—Love, Learn and Play.