February 19 – The Power of Authenticity: How to Be Yourself and Make a Difference in the World

"Put your future in good hands, your own." Mark Victor Hansen

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

“With our mind we create our own world.” Buddha

In her incredible book, The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama makes a profound statement that I believe is the key for making our world a more authentic place for everyone to live in and thrive in. “How you view yourself becomes everything. It’s your foundation, the starting point for changing the world around you.”

Gary Zukav states in Universal Human that, “The lowest and most meaningless level of interactions is among nations (because there is no spiritual dimension to them.) Nations have no ability to move forward. They are empty.” Conversely, the highest and most meaningful level of perception and understanding is interactions among individuals, such as connecting with neighbors.

So, we need to start with ourselves and live in an authentic way. This will help our relationships. If this is what everyone did, our communities would be more accepting and compassionate. This would have an effect on our nations and the wider world in the long run.

Genuine belonging and self-esteem are not commodities that require validation from the external world. The reality of our identity resides deep within our hearts. Our challenge is to preserve our authentic selves from incessant scrutiny, particularly from our own judgments. Remember, no one possesses a stronger claim to belonging here than you do.

When we start by bravely being our authentic selves, it flows outward in positive ways to improve our relationships and society as a whole. Zukav explains, “If you want to change the world, you need to change yourself.” Love, consciousness, empathy, and insight are the vehicles that guide us towards our desired destinations. Establishing genuine empowerment is the sole means of shaping a positive future. There exist no alternative routes. Each of us must assume the role of an authoritative figure in our own lives, responsible for our choices and the architects of our forthcoming destinies. These responsibilities cannot be delegated to others, and we, likewise, cannot fulfill them on behalf of someone else.

Activity: Create a vision board that represents your authentic self and the future you envision. Cut out pictures and words from magazines or from the internet. Use images, words, and symbols that resonate with your aspirations. Display it prominently to serve as a constant reminder.

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.

My book, 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.

Use the link above to get my book directly from the publisher at a greatly discounted price!