Curious about Being Authentic: Authenticity Today Is Required of Everything We Do, Say, Live and/or Propose!

“That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something.” - Meredith Monk, American composer

“In short, we cannot grow, we cannot achieve authentic discovery, and our eyes cannot be cleansed to the truly beautiful possibilities of life, if we simply live a neutral existence.” - Armstrong Williams, American journalist

I basically am not a skeptical person. I have always - over my many years - preferred to believe and trust those I come in contact with. And, those who have told me fantastic stories about themselves and their accomplishments. However, I notice that now I have become more skeptical and even disbelieving of hype that so easily rolls off the tongues of today.

I think it results from all of my Internet contact with a large group of so-called “gurus” who claim to make millions a month. Yes, their offers of programs that “will change your life” and your “income” are presented in such a way and by so many of the big group, you almost feel that if you don’t accept the offers, you will be the one person left out in the cold and poverty stricken.

No, I do not embrace a “neutral existence” but I still have the strong belief that by staying authentically who I am and persevering in my “Portfolio Career” and goals, I will not only be happy and love my life, but I will also succeed financially and in my ability to help others.

How authentic are you? What do the experts say about being authentic:

• “Strong efforts may be made to deny the place, to silence the authentic, but the spirit of things will break through that silence.” - John Haynes, English judge
• “Feelings or emotions are the universal language and are to be honored. They are the authentic expression of who you are at your deepest place.” - Judith Wright, Australian poet
• “The real rub is finding that authentic self and it's not something that's going to come to you overnight.” - Paul Guilfoyle, American actor
• “Authentic values are those by which a life can be lived, which can form a people that produces great deeds and thoughts.” - Allan Bloom, American philosopher
• “Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.” - Albert Camus, French philosopher
• “The authentic self is the soul made visible.” - Sarah Ban Breathnach, American author

Artists, producers and writers are especially concerned with being authentic:

• “The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.” - Ben Okri, Nigerian poet
• “There is a certain kind of respect for authenticity today that there wasn't back in the days when they did 'Cleopatra,' where everything looked like a giant motel. People want to have it be authentic in the look, and authentic in the way people behave.” - John Milius, American director
• “The aim of every authentic artist is not to conform to the history of art, but to release himself from it in order to replace it with his own history.” - Harold Rosenberg, American writer
• “When I am finishing a picture, I hold some God-made object up to it - a rock, a flower, the branch of a tree or my hand - as a final test. If the painting stands up beside a thing man cannot make, the painting is authentic. If there's a clash between the two, it's bad art.” - Marc Chagall, French artist
• “Every writer knows he is spurious; every fiction writer would rather be credible than authentic.” - John Le Carre, English writer
• “I think the audience is responding to the fact that they see I'm authentic now, that I'm just me. I'm not someone who's trying to be part of the latest trend.” - Sheena Easton, Scottish musician

A few more thoughts to leave you with:

• “And live now. Because this is all there is. And enjoy now like a child. And be your authentic self.” - Jim Carrey, Canadian comedian
• “It is possible to transcend the usual limitations of the body, ego, space, and linear time. The disappearance of spatial boundaries can lead to authentic identifications with other people, animals of different species, plant life, and inorganic materials.” - Stanislav Grof, Czechoslovakian psychologist
• “We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity.” - Barbara de Angelis, American writer

Do consider your and others authenticity. Is it working for you? How many people do you know who are truly authentic? Are you? Have a great and wonderful week!