February 13 – Unveiling Authenticity: Navigating Life's Journey through Values and Genuine Living

“Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” Grandma Moses

“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.” Ernest Hemingway

“How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.” Annie Dillard

Authenticity is the quality of being genuine or real. As a human trait, it is the ability to be true to oneself, even when it is difficult. It means being honest with oneself and others and living in accordance with one's values and beliefs.

An authentic person is not afraid to be themselves, even if it means being different from others. They are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in, even if it is unpopular. They are also not afraid to be vulnerable, and to share their true selves with others.

Authenticity is a valuable human trait because it allows us to live our lives to the fullest. When we are authentic, we are more likely to be happy and fulfilled. We are also more likely to be successful in our relationships and careers.

Goals are things that we do, but values are the way that we do them. One way to live authentically is to be sure you are living by your values.

As Julie Smith writes in Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, “If life was one complete journey, then a value would be the path you choose to follow. The path never comes to an end.” She goes on to explain, “Values are a set of ideas about how you want to live your life, the kind of person you want to be, and the principles you want to stand for.”

Adam Grant echoes this sentiment and goes on to explain, “Who you are should be a question of what you value, not what you believe. Values are your core principles in life-they might be excellence and generosity, freedom and fairness, or security and integrity. Basing your identity on these kinds of principles enables you to remain open-minded about the best ways to advance them.”

In the quest to be authentic and figure out our values and guiding principles, it helps to take a look at our everyday lives. In The Big Book of Less, Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst find that, “Oddly enough, the things we do the most often, such as scrolling, surfing the net, and watching television, are the things that make us the least happy. The things we do the least, such as gardening, walking, and making love, are actually the things that make us happiest.”

This week, we will learn how living authentically is a transformative way of life that enhances our well-being and connects us with our truest selves.

Activity: Bucket List

In The Big Book of Less, there is an article by Caroline Buijs about creating a Bucket List, or a list of things you really want to experience before you die. She says, “Making the list can help you to live more consciously: All the stuff that’s important to you is in one place.” She believes that it increases the chances that you’ll actually achieve some of these things rather than letting them just “rattle around vaguely in the back of your head.” I did this last year. On my list were to ride a horse and a hot air balloon. I am closer to both of these things, having lost some weight. Another was to visit all 50 states. In February, I knocked the one close by state I had never been to, Rhode Island, off my list on a long weekend. Over spring break, my son and I took a road trip and checked off 5 southern states. The count is at 36 down, 12 to go. Six states in one year isn’t too bad! I’m getting there…Dear Reader, you are reading one of the items on my bucket list right now. I wanted to become an author. Thank you for being a part of that!

Here is how Buijs recommends coming up with your own Bucket List.

1.  Try to find a moment when you won’t be disturbed and give yourself time for this.

2.  These questions might help you get started: What is it you always wanted to do as a child? Do you still want to do it? What would you regret most if you hadn’t achieved it by the end of your life? What makes your heart beat faster and makes you forget all sense of time passing?

3.  Don’t make your list too long and don’t fill it with impossible dreams. You might even try to achieve at least one of these things in the coming months. Make a practical plan for yourself: Figure out the costs and the actual steps you’ll have to take to do it. If there are costs involved, see if you can save what you need for it or start with something smaller.

4.  Only put things on your bucket list that are in your own sphere of influence.

5.  You need to have something left to dream about. So don’t worry if you can’t accomplish everything on your list. Making a bucket list often provides you with an illuminating view of your own values and priorities and gives you a sense of whether your life is in balance with your personal goals.

In today's increasingly digital world, it's easy to lose sight of what makes us human. The constant bombardment of screens and social media can distract us from cultivating essential qualities like kindness, empathy, and resilience.

Nurturing Hopeful Resilience guides parents and caregivers through the challenges of raising children in a technology-driven age. It explores the importance of instilling strong values in children from a young age to help them develop into compassionate, responsible, and fulfilled individuals.

Through a series of practical exercises and insightful reflections, this book delves into fourteen core values: curiosity, awareness, kindness, learning, self-awareness, fairness, playfulness, compassion, service, belonging, trustworthiness, authenticity, community, and responsibility. Understanding and nurturing these values can empower our children to thrive in a complex and ever-changing world.

This book offers a roadmap for raising children who are academically successful, emotionally intelligent, socially adept, and morally grounded. It encourages readers to prioritize human connection, empathy, and compassion over material possessions and fleeting digital distractions. By embracing the power of values, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and generations to come.