This is honestly one of the hardest episodes I have ever attempted to put together. Authenticity is an incredibly difficult topic to cover and an even harder thing to achieve in life. Are you authentic with yourself? Are you authentic with others? Are you authentic in all situations and aspects in your life? Probably not, and I have to say first, that is OKAY. Acknowledge that and sit with that. Since day one of being raised as a child we are conditioned to start adapting and being kind and making sure that others are feeling good, even if it goes against what we want and need. Our whole life then is a battle between our adaptive self and our authentic self. Finding a balance is crucial to becoming happier in life. I will share all kinds of stories and studies that help me come to this conclusion.

I will also give you a few small exercises and ask you a few questions to help guide you in your quest for authenticity. I hope you enjoy this episode and I hope you take some time in your life to help you better understand who YOU ARE as a person and life the life YOU WANT. When you do this, you will give yourself more time and energy to do more cool shit in this planet!

Some of the things that helped me make this episode are listed below:

• Why You Can’t Stop Wearing a Mask
• The basics of authenticity
• Develop Authenticity: 20 Ways to Be a More Authentic Person
• Trait Self and True Self: Cross-Role Variation in the Big-Five Personality Traits and Its Relations With Psychological Authenticity and Subjective Well-Being
• The Study of Authenticity (Positive Psychology Series #3)
• Middle age and 'slowing this whole mess down', with Aaron Draplin
  When it's time to start over...(Audrey Ember)
• Dr. K Chats with @aliabdaal
  
  
  

Thanks as always for giving this a listen. I look forward to hearing what cool shit you are working on.

Music composed and performed by: Doug Wallace