This is wild coming from me (I know - cuz the ppl that know me know that authenticity is my religion).

But here’s the problem.

Being authentic could be confused with “feeling right” about something.

But being authentic doesn’t always feel right.

Saying “no” doesn’t feel right to a people pleaser, and chasing your dreams doesn’t always feel right (cuz it´s often scary as hell, right?).

I realized this a few weeks ago when I was on a walk....

That authenticity is a vague word, and we don’t know what it feels like, and so we end up thinking it is "whatever feels good".

Now, I’m very much still in the process of figuring out what authenticity feels like (and how to recognize it)....

But at least after reading about ACT therapy, I realized authenticity has nothing to do with what feels good in the moment, but more to do with the values you want to live by.

So the next question becomes—what do I want to live by?

This, like any philosophical question, has about a million different answers.

But the one I’ve used a lot is asking my 90-year-old self what she would want me to do if she were me.

She gives me perspective.

She helps me zoom out and see that the little stresses and fears of today should not determine what choices I make in the moment.

Hope this was helpful -

- and I’ll keep exploring what authenticity really feels like (and I hope you do too).

But for now, remember this:

Feeling good is not called being authentic—

that’s called being hedonistic.

/Sara < 3

This is wild coming from me (I know - cuz the ppl that know me know that authenticity is my religion).

But here’s the problem.

Being authentic could be confused with “feeling right” about something.

But being authentic doesn’t always feel right.

Saying “no” doesn’t feel right to a people pleaser, and chasing your dreams doesn’t always feel right (cuz it´s often scary as hell, right?).

I realized this a few weeks ago when I was on a walk....

That authenticity is a vague word, and we don’t know what it feels like, and so we end up thinking it is "whatever feels good".

Now, I’m very much still in the process of figuring out what authenticity feels like (and how to recognize it)....

But at least after reading about ACT therapy, I realized authenticity has nothing to do with what feels good in the moment, but more to do with the values you want to live by.

So the next question becomes—what do I want to live by?

This, like any philosophical question, has about a million different answers.

But the one I’ve used a lot is asking my 90-year-old self what she would want me to do if she were me.

She gives me perspective.

She helps me zoom out and see that the little stresses and fears of today should not determine what choices I make in the moment.

Hope this was helpful -

- and I’ll keep exploring what authenticity really feels like (and I hope you do too).

But for now, remember this:

Feeling good is not called being authentic—

that’s called being hedonistic.

/Sara < 3