A few days ago I had the privilege of attending an authors’ master class seminar in Las Vegas, led by Barbara De Angelis, an internationally acclaimed speaker and author of over 25 bestselling books. You may recognize some of her titles: Secrets about Men Every Woman Should Know and Real Moments, among others.
De Angelis has said, “The first conversation I ever had with my publicist, Rick Frishman … he saw me, he felt me, and he got me. We have since done 27 books together. Why? Authenticity. I was then and still am now authentic in the way I show up.”
Wikipedia’s entry on authenticity states that “the conscious self is seen as coming to terms with being in a material world and with encountering external forces, pressures and influences which are very different from, and other than, itself. Authenticity is the degree to which one is true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character, despite these pressures.”
Being authentic and true to your own personality or spirit has many benefits in the workplace:
· Colleagues will become more engaged when speaking with you. People crave a connection with those whom they have to communicate with, so when there is a connection between the physical you and the emotional you, there is also a harmonious connection between yourself and others.
· You will feel more natural and relaxed, and less tense about trying to be someone that you are not.
· You will live more in the present moment, content with your place in time.
When you converse with someone, you are transferring energy beyond the words that you speak. At some level, people receive that energy exactly as you have sent it, regardless of what your words mean.
Authenticity is realized by loving, accepting and expressing yourself fully. Be kind and fair to yourself, speak kind words about yourself, learn to love and accept yourself, and let go of beliefs that limit your sense of self-worth. It takes a fair amount of humility to be authentic. We have to accept ourselves, and while that can be humbling, it shows that you are real.
The world is yearning for honesty.
Following the feeling of peace that you will receive from being authentic, you can begin to ask yourself what else you need. Listen. Most often it is not something new you need to have, but rather something old you need to let go for good.
This idea may sound simple, but it’s not easy. I personally practice my spirituality on a daily basis toward finding and living who I am. I also choose to seek help, maintenance and support from professionals, coaches, literature, and role models. If you also feel as though guidance would benefit you personally, reach out for it — but not before you look within.
Looking within yourself to figure out who you are is an important step before you can come out with the force that you want. Barbara De Angelis used an arrow as an analogy: we pull back on a bowstring to launch our arrow a strong and powerful distance forward. It seems odd that we work in the opposite direction of where we want to move, but that is how the law of physics works. So it is with authenticity. When we want to move with strength and power on the outside, we must first go deep on the inside.
My wish for you is that you invest in how you show up in the places of your life that you can make a tremendous difference, and as a leader in whatever role you serve.
If you need guidance, please contact me. It would be my pleasure to help you. Being a student makes me a great teacher. I have just made a yearlong commitment to work with the best coach for me during this time when I am bringing a new book into the world and working on my authentic self. She is the one and only Dr. Barbara De Angelis.
Penny
If you’re ready to be your best, then you need to receive the best training from someone who has achieved the best. Transform yourself from the inside out, and learn how to manifest the most powerful, passionate and charismatic “you” possible. To work personally with Barbara De Angelis, email her at TransformationWithBarbara@yahoo.com. To work personally with me, email me at info@PennyTremblay.com .