Today's Verse: Romans 12:1-21 ESV
âI appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.â
Authentic is a word that I am hearing and reading more and more. Be your âauthenticâ self. How can we make our jobs more âauthenticâ? etc. A while back I decided to delve into finding out what does it actually mean to be authentic?
What I have found in my journey to understanding authenticity is that it is daily choices that we have to make. Choices for us to be honest, open and be true to ourselves.
I feel that it takes courage, mindfulness and self-love to be truly authentic. This quote from E. E. Cummings really tells of the work it can take to be more authentic. , "To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting." This is so true in my life~
My first exposure to the authentic world was from reading Breneâ Brown. I recommend the book âThe Gifts of Imperfectionâ. She also has a few TED Talks that you can watch. This quote from Breneâ Brown really speaks to me. âTo be authentic, we must cultivate the courage to be imperfectâââand vulnerable. We have to believe that we are fundamentally worthy of love and acceptance, just as we are. Iâve learned that there is no better way to invite more grace, gratitude and joy into our lives than by mindfully practicing authenticityâ
What does authenticity look like to you?
This, my friends, is my quest for you today. Strive for authenticity in your daily life, be a leader in the world around you. Find the self that God created you to be and live it to the fullest!
âBe yourself, everyone else is already taken.ââââOscar Wilde
Peace.