New book reveals authenticity as the solution to life’s problems
Ann Allen’s new book Authenticity at Your Best is a practical and inspiring guide to learning to be yourself. Ann believes that being your authentic self is the solution to coping and succeeding in our current chaotic world. It’s easy to talk ourselves out of following what’s best for us when we’re bombarded by the media telling us what to do, think, and be. Being your authentic self means standing up for what you believe in and refusing to go along with the crowd, even when that may be the easiest thing to do.
In the book’s foreword, Jack Stucki, a pioneer in the field of Ann’s biofeedback, talks about how this book is a gift because it encourages us to be ourselves, free from distractions. When we live authentically, with honesty and integrity, we also inspire others to do the same.
Ann defines authenticity not only as being honest but also as finding congruence between our inner and outer worlds. She states, “Your inner world is your beliefs and values, your feelings, your gifts and talents, your passions and dreams, and your challenges and experiences. Your outer world is work, home, community, play, and life.” “.
Ann illustrates how to find this congruence by first telling the story of an ethical work decision she needed to make, which meant following her truth or giving in to peer pressure. When she chose to follow her truth, the universe rewarded her for doing so.
It is easy to adapt to the crowd. Because we tend to fear becoming outcasts, we find it hard to disagree with others, but Ann makes it clear that when we do that, we’re not benefiting the world, we’re taking from it. She states: “To understand this great need to be authentic, look at life as a great symphony. Only you can play your unique instrument. Without the music of your soul blending with all the others, something essential is lost in the expression of the soul.” life itself.”
After establishing the importance of being authentic, Ann asks us to examine two fundamental questions: “What are your truths?” and “What do you really believe in?” She states that our beliefs and patterns are two of the biggest obstacles to authentic living. This is because we have often taken on certain beliefs and patterns that are not authentic to us in our efforts to be loved and accepted, without realizing how this has hurt us. I love the quote Ann gives from Jack Kornfield, which says, “I think the biggest hurt we’ve all experienced is somehow being rejected for being our most authentic selves. And as a result of that, we try to be what we’re not.” are”. for approval, love, protection, safety, money, whatever.”
Ann then walks us through the essential qualities for living an authentic life, discussing each one in depth. Those qualities are: courage, vulnerability, honesty, trust, presence, judicious communication, honor and respect, boundaries and limits, and vision and insight. The discussion of each of these qualities is revealing. For example, Ann says that judicious communication requires not telling white lies and not using negative body language.
While we often want to be true to others, the hardest part is being true to ourselves. Too often we lie to ourselves or just aren’t kind to ourselves. We can solve this problem by learning to practice self-love and honoring who we are. Ann explains that we want to develop our sense of self to the point where our inner world remains constant so that when we look at the outer world, it doesn’t fluctuate. An excellent example Allen provides is that of Elizabeth Gilbert, the best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love. In her book on creativity, Big Magic, Gilbert talks about how she promised to honor her work as a writer; to do so was to be true to who she was, regardless of whether she ever made her famous or not. Of course, we all know where her authenticity took her.
To honor ourselves, Ann also tells us to be more aware of our own internal dialogue, especially the negative voices that hold us back. We also need to listen to the messages of our body. And we can’t ignore our gifts and talents; we must use them to improve ourselves and the world. She provides advice on how to be authentic in all of these areas.
There’s a lot more to Authenticity at Your Best than I could talk about, but I’ll end with
Ann’s own words on the importance of authenticity for our own time:
“We are at a crisis point. All of humanity is facing a time when we must change. Our future depends on it. Fortunately, the way forward is simple, but not always easy. Each one of us, in each one their own lives, we must commit to authenticity… We can choose to give in to our fears and continue down the path of familiar patterns, thereby obstructing our next step toward wholeness.Or we can refuse to accept the status quo we see behind us. around us and insist — on celebrating and supporting a more authentic way of being.”
I hope you choose to read this book and choose what is best for you: to be your authentic self.