| How's this John? I remember one of the first times I thought I would be my authentic self. I blurted out something in a youth meeting I thought was really funny and made everybody laugh. Instead, the youth leader grabbed me, stood me up, and rebuked me in front of everybody. So, instead of my true self being appreciated and celebrated, it was shamed and silenced. We learn quickly. We learn that if this is what it costs to be real, then we have a choice to make: Be real… OR… Keep hiding. Can you guess which one I chose? Now, let me assure you…it took me years and even decades to learn how to do it. It’s wise to be careful. But it’s also wise to be carefree. I’ve learned how to be careful when it’s necessary to protect myself and others. But I’ve also learned how to be carefree and enjoy myself and my life and help others enjoy themselves and their lives too. And so can you! To live with authenticity takes courage, no matter who you are. It requires us to be brave enough to be vulnerable. There’s an art to being vulnerable. Like learning to paint, you have to learn muscle memory, tools, and techniques that allow you to create something beautiful. The first thing you have to know is that being vulnerable is not being weak. It’s being honest in a radical way. Being vulnerable is being able to feel your feelings and not bury them deep down or bottling them up until you have an angry outburst. The art of being vulnerable can be achieved with tools like introspection, patience, kindness and understanding (for yourself!). You’ll find that once you start being vulnerable, other people tend to find themselves responding in the same way. The final masterpiece of being vulnerable is that you start to uncover your authentic self. Living authentically requires us to be brave enough to be vulnerable. To let ourselves be fully seen by the world for who we truly are, and to expose true thoughts and feelings. It's a practice that is cultivated with effort and consistency, just like anything else. | 