In a powerful TED Talk, Brené Brown talks about ‘The Power of Vulnerability’. She explains how vulnerability is the source of joy, love, creativity, sense of belonging and so forth. Furthermore, she indicates that authenticity is part of being vulnerable.
Being authentic could be a major task for each and every one of us. We might feel that being authentic is almost impossible in a world in which we have to maneuver between various people in different situations. If we do speak our mind and act on what we feel, we might hurt someone or “damage” ourselves for not doing what we feel is expected of us.
But, what are the prices we all pay for not being authentic? There is an enormous scope between being quiet, do what we believe is expected of us and not engage with our thoughts and feelings, and being offensive, provocative and act as we want without any consideration of others.
Is it possible that being authentic actually means to allow others to see us for who we are? To speak our mind in a respectful way, to follow our feelings while seeing the other people around us. Is being authentic mean that we enable ourselves to experience our own thoughts and feelings, we give them their deserved place in our life.
Being authentic is part of being vulnerable, as we allow other people to deeply see us, we are out there, exposed, and it might get uncomfortable. But if being being vulnerable is a key factor in our happiness – isn’t it worth it?
