Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”

Wilde made it sound so simple, but living with authenticity is a real challenge. Being authentic means coming from a real place within. It is when our actions and words are attuned with our beliefs and values. It is being ourselves, not an imitation of what we think we should be or have been told we should be. The authentic self is the “you” that can be found at your absolute core. It is the part of you not defined by your job, function or role.

Authentic people are deeply in tune with who they are and what they want. Living authentically is an ongoing challenge but can yield great rewards. Living from a place of deep authenticity involves being grounded in your deepest beliefs, values and truth and living a life that is a true reflection of them. It is about being true to yourself through your thoughts, words and actions.

The more you practice listening to your inner wisdom, (the innate knowing) the less resistance and conflict you will find yourself generating in your life. Research has discovered that authentic people have the ability to live their lives in harmony with their true selves by adopting very distinct habits that we can develop and integrate into our lives. Interestingly enough one of the ways that “authentic” people live their lives is with “fun”. They also practice self-sufficiency, embrace their vulnerability and know their limitations.

As Billy Joel says in his song “I love you just the way you are” so be the real you!