What is being authentic if we don’t know who we are?
Who will we discover ourselves to be if we have no ambition to do so?
Authentic and Ambitious are two qualities that those who are More Than Different embody. These go hand in hand. We are able to find ourselves only after we develop the prerequisite ambition. Though the process of self discovery is challenging and feels endless, there is an allure to discovering new aspects of ourselves and reaching the potential we hold—eventually uncovering our purpose. The sense of sureness and direction we gain once we do so is nonpareil.
Several weeks ago I was driving and I heard a phrase mentioned on the radio which really stuck out to me: “Authentic Habits of Being.”
As soon as I heard it I started thinking about what it meant. It caused me to think about authenticity and self discovery in a light which I had never consciously considered before. All of the time we put into finding ourselves and what we are truly passionate about builds into habits. Finding what ignites our ambition feels natural, so these activities quickly become quotidian; they feel like home.
This “routine of authenticity” is so key for our well being. Oftentimes we don’t see how important it is until we are knocked off course. Maybe we go out to a party, cheat on the diet or wake up uncharacteristically late. Or maybe, we simply hit a rut and find it challenging to get back on track. But once we realign ourselves, we tend to feel more comfortable and in control when we return to our optimal lifestyle. It feels like we hit a low, weren’t being ourselves, or couldn’t really understand why we wouldn’t take actions congruent with what we want to align with.
Discovering the optimal habits that empower our authenticity is only attainable through exploration. We need to invest time and energy into nurturing the things we already find interesting but may not realize yet. This process also involves opening the mind to new interests to see if they are true passions. Experimentation with new activities, genres, and styles will eventually yield a click. You can’t declare that you love or hate a food until you’ve tried it— it’s the same with all you’ve yet to experience. Trying new activities and building new habits is no different. You can’t find out whether they work for you unless you give them a chance.
I’ve found that when I was younger, there were certain things that I was always drawn to and I wasn’t consciously sure why. Many years in the future, I would eventually come to try and love these things which had only been lingering interests at that point. Although I was excited by these new interests and the potential they hold, I would always question why I didn’t pull the trigger on trying whatever it was sooner…
If you feel yourself being “randomly” pulled to various things, invest some time into exploring them. This very well may be an intuitive sense guiding you to you. You never know what it is that you will click with. But it’s an indescribable reward when you find it. So many of us are at the stage where we are figuring out who we are and learning more about ourselves as days pass. Beginning to hone in on the interests that intrigue us the most is the key to living an authentic life imbued with joy and ambition.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this process is the opportunity that arises to help others find themselves. Celebrating the authenticity of others can always be done regardless of if we’ve put energy into finding ourselves. But there is a different energy and security when your whole circle, including YOU, have done so. Everybody is free, empowered, celebrated, and elevated by this attained level of growth.
Once we develop the habits that fulfill and ignite us, we can encourage others to explore their interests and find themselves, offering guidance on their individual journeys. This is an integral process in actively constructing our ideal social circle.
It’s pretty easy to tell when people live a lifestyle that brings the best out of them or one that circumscribes their authenticity. We are often impressed by those who seem genuine and real because people being a shell of themselves is so common. The banal saying “fake it til you make it (FITYMI)” is never the approach we should live by. Sure it could get you through a few days or weeks, but trying to maintain it will only leave you drained. When we’re around the FITYMI crowd, we subtly adopt their inauthenticity and feel constricted in our self expression.
Finding ourselves obliges commitment and exploration.
In the game of life, we play our best when we utilize our greatest superpower: Our authenticity.
Discovering our authentic selves allows us to channel our ambition into our purpose, and be unapologetic on our road to unlocking our true potential.
Our authentic habits of being cultivates a lifestyle paradigm that empowers us to achieve our true potential.
Invest in yourself to discover yourself. Then help others along their journeys.
That’s what we call the MTD Paradigm.
MTD Blog Writer
Rowan Paoletti-Newton
MTD Co-Founder
Brendan McNamara