Authenticity

It all begins with authenticity. Each of us must be true to ourselves. Every human being is unique and special. When someone tries to be someone else, that person is rejecting the very precious gift of individual identity.

And if we are to be properly assessed by others as human beings, then by definition we must be authentic. If we pretend to be something we are not, then we cannot be taken seriously.

Being who we are does not mean we cannot try to change and improve. Each of us is a product of nature and nurture. We are who we are. Yet each of us has the ability to learn and the capacity to grow.

If you are uncomfortable who you are, the answer is not to pretend to be someone else. The answer is to learn and to grow so that you can become the person you want to be.

None of us is perfect, and we can all learn and grow. Authenticity must undergird the effort, recognizing our shortcomings. The improved self we realize will then be truly authentic.

Discussion

• Can you remember a time when you tried to be someone you were not?

• Why did you do so?

• How did you feel in the immediate aftermath?

• How did you feel a week later?

• Looking back now on the situation, how do you feel about it now?

• In what ways are you now trying to improve your life?