By Debbi King
Are you living your authentic life? Of course, our initial response tends to be “sure I am”. But there are two key elements to the question I asked to consider before you answer – the word authentic and the word your. The word “authentic” is thrown around in the social media and internet world a lot these days. So what do I mean when I ask you are you living your authentic life? To live authentically means to live in a way that makes you truly happy in every area of your life – your finances, your career, your relationships/marriage, your health, your friends/family and your spirituality (your inner self). Living authentically means to be you and only you.
Which brings me to the second key – your. Being authentic and living your authentic life is totally, 100% about living a life that works for you and only you. It is doing what makes you happy not what everyone else thinks you should do or even what society says is acceptable and normal. I was just asked last night when was I going to get a “normal” job? To me, what I do is very normal. It makes me happier than I have ever been. My career – now – is not about the money, but simply about doing what I love to do day in and day out. The money comes out of the passion that I have for my clients and everyone I come in contact with on a daily basis. You see, I don’t like working in the corporate arena or sitting at a desk all day. I love serving others and helping them to change their lives. That may not be normal in most circles, but it is very normal for me.
Do you know where you were on June 30, 1998? You may or may not, but I do. That day was the worst and the best day of my life. That afternoon I found myself alone, literally, $200,000 in debt, a single mom making $10,000 a year. I really wanted to give up – I couldn’t find any hope. The only hope I found was in the eyes of my 2 month old daughter. From that day on, slowly but surely, I began to find myself, who I was and who I really wanted to be. Until then, I had been living for everyone else – my parents, my friends, my family, society – everyone but me and living those lies landed me where I was in that moment. So many people are struggling, are angry, are in debt, are alone – so many have lost hope.
But this doesn’t have to be your story. You are the author of your own story and how you write it is totally and completely up to you. Every decision you make, every word you utter, every gesture you make ultimately becomes a part of your story. If before you made any decision, you asked yourself, “Do I want this to be part of my story?”, would you have made some of the same decisions you have? I know I wouldn’t have. But guess what? Every day is a new day, every moment is a new moment which means that from now on you can ask that question and you can make better decisions and write the story you want to write. In doing so, you will begin living your authentic life. You will begin living your story, not anyone else’s. In doing so, you will find happiness and joy that only living authentically can bring – it can’t be bought.