Live Your Life With Authenticity

Display kindness to the unkind

Be accountable, even if others are not

Provide hope to those who live with doubt

Demonstrate bravery to all that live in fear

Be accepting of someone that feels ashamed

Maintain your confidence among the jealous

Remain calm while others scurry in frustration

Pray for others, especially those who hate you

Offer a smile to the sad and broken hearted

Stay compassionate regardless of their anger

Be honest, especially when they are lying to you

Teach forgiveness to someone who lives with guilt

Commit to giving even when others are being selfish

Share your optimism with negative people anyway

Convey empathy to those who choose to remain resentful

Give with your whole heart even though there is no guarantee they will give you any or all of theirs in return

Live your life with authenticity, even if others are too petrified to live theirs that way

We are not in a contest. Never allow anyone or 

anything to impede you from being who you truly are

Living an Authentic Life

As some of us are now living our lives more authentically, many think we have changed. The truth is, we haven't changed; we just haven't shown this part of ourselves to them or to the rest of world before now. All this time we have hidden ourselves quietly in a corner fearing judgment from others. By not living authentically meant we didn't truly accept ourselves and our fear of judgment and rejection were exceedingly more important than living our lives freely and with purpose. We lived that way before, and now realize, we have only held ourselves back by suppressing our spirit, and living incongruently a life that we were meant to live. That feeling of "something is missing" no longer exists, and inner peace now fulfills us.

There is so much freedom in living an authentic life. We now know who we genuinely are and accept ourselves fully. There is no longer any shame or chains that hold us back while we pretend to be perfect. We have faced our demons, no longer running away from doubts, pain and fear. We too have struggles like everyone else and we will continue to grow. We have dug deep within ourselves pulling out the inner beauty that lies within each and every one of us. We recognize we are all unique, yet so much of the same.

We are accountable for our actions and how we impact others. People have become more transparent to us, and we are empathetic to why people think and behave they way they do. Instead of allowing anger to consume us, we find compassion, and forgiveness from one human being to another. However, that does not open us up to accepting abuse or mistreatment, and we DO love ourselves enough to not allow it. We are aware it is always our choice if we accept others words, actions, or behaviors to have any affect on us.

We are not followers; rather we have become leaders of our own lives. We are not afraid to go after what we really want; as we now know there are no limits. We aren't afraid to tell people often how much we love them. We seek out our purpose, and then we fulfill it. We express gratitude for the many gifts we have received. We give without the expectation of anything in return, as that is not our intent.

We are living authentic lives, where our mind, body, and spirit are all in harmony. We are now free.
~ Brenda, Coach and Creator, Elements of Your Life

Forgiveness

Forgiving can be difficult because you may think you're condoning the other person's actions by forgiving them. Forgiving is simply a matter of letting go of the anger, bitterness and resentment, to allow you to take care of yourself both emotionally and physically. It is a misunderstood belief that forgiveness is equivalent to letting the other person “off the hook".

Forgiving is for YOU, not the other person! When we refuse to forgive, it is our way of retaliating with the intention to "punish the other person". The reality is, you are only punishing yourself! You are the one who suffers the biggest repercussions.

Why would you allow someone who adds so little to you, subtract so much from you? Value yourself enough to refuse to allow their actions to have a detrimental impact on your life or change who you are!

Forgiveness allows you to return to the good person you truly are, and frees you from all the negative feelings you acquired secondary to someone else’s words or behavior. Yes, it is difficult to do; and it is absolutely worth it!