Explore1.0: Be Authentic

Authenticity stems from knowing yourself—really knowing yourself.

I mean most of us know ourselves, but we don’t face facts about ourselves. Good and bad.

Now we don’t want you to be a harsh critic here, but being honest is imperative! We want to give you a chance to look inside yourself and be honest about your strengths and weaknesses.

What is the world seeing vs. what you know to be true about yourself?

This topic is probably going to take a little bit more work than the others because it can be tricky. The world is full of what we would call “false fronts.” 

When you’re climbing a mountain you can look up and think you’re almost to the top just to find out—once you get there— that it’s not the real top. The fake top was blocking the real peak from view. So you keep walking until you get to the real thing. After all, the best view is from the real peak! So even though you’re exhausted, you keep walking until you get to the real thing. We think you’ll find it’s always worth it in the end.

It takes too much energy to pretend, so let’s declare, “No More!”

#BeYourAdventure #BeAuthentic

Labs

The “Be” in “Be Your Adventure” is a verb. In fact, we think of it as an action verb, because to be your adventure means taking action that moves your life in a positive direct. Labs are how that happens. Choose one (or more!) of the labs below as a way to take action on this topic! Learn more about labs.

Lab #1: Is Facebook your “False front?”

Before you look at Facebook take a few minutes to write down a few adjectives describing yourself—the good, bad, and the ugly. Act as if you were introducing yourself to yourself.

Peruse the last couple of month’s worth of posts on Facebook and/or Instagram and ask yourself if the image you’re portraying there lines up with the life you’ve been experiencing in that time frame. Be honest.

Answer these questions:

1. If someone who had never met you, what would they say about you after looking at your posts?
2. Does this truth transfer to your behavior in person?

Lab #2: Fake News?

Count the number of your FB friends you’ve interacted with in the last 30 days. What percentage of your FB friends are actively involved in your life? What was your last face to face interaction like? Let’s define or redefine the meaning of “friend.”

Lab #3: Introducing the “Real” You!

The next time you have a conversation with someone, notice how the real you is revealed. There’s no need to blurt out personal information about yourself, just let your style be natural and easy.

Postgame

Now that you’ve taken action by choosing one or more of the labs and trying it/them out, the “Postgame” is how you share your results—including any insights you may have gained—with the community. Learn more about postgame reports.

1. How different was my online persona to my “in person” persona? Am I creating a “false front?” If so, then how?
2. What is keeping me from spending face to face time with more of my Facebook friends? Do I have time for them? Am I using most of my time online or in person? How could I get more out of a face to face friendship? More in depth, helpful, enjoyable conversations? How would that make my life better?

Authenticity is where it’s at, so take a swing at being honest with yourself first and then take that real you into the world and be the blessing to others that ONLY you can be. The real, honest, authentic YOU. Being better can be an adventure so you know what we would say… Be YOUR Adventure!