Where Are You NOT Being Authentic In Your Life?

So this is a profound question, one that makes you take a candid look at your life and your relationships. Just thinking about what to say about this topic throws up so many red flags. Do I really want to examine the relationships I have with people in my life? Where am I biting my tongue and keeping silent because my views differ from those in my inner circle? Speaking your truth and being authentic can alienate people and open you up to criticism, which we all know is about as much fun as getting a root canal.

I have noticed quite a bit of social media bashing as of late. People who resort to tearing others down on the internet are affectionally referred to as Trolls and not the cute kind with the wildly crazy hair, distended bellies and freakishly weird noses. They are more along the lines of the sort that live under rocks, and there are a lot of them!

I was surfing through the community connect Facebook page for my little city and came upon a post that someone made about the new principal of the public grade school. I had seen the latest job announcement for them, and they appeared to be beyond qualified educationally. This new post I stumbled onto in the community group was one that included several screen snags from the new principal's personal Facebook page. The Troll that posted them had issues with the new principal's choices but posted it under the guise of inquiry. It went like this..."What is your interpretation of what the new principal is posting on their personal FB page?" Well, let me tell you there were over 200 posts that tore this new principal apart. I seriously don't know how the principal showed up the next day for work. I'm sure someone had to alert them as to the bashing free-for-all that was ensuing online.

What would have been authentic for me in this instance? I could have added a comment to the thread that "my interpretation is that the original poster is participating in fear-mongering, by deliberately arousing public alarm" but the army of Trolls would have turned their attack against me, like a school of Piranha in an old Tarzan movie. If this Troll person felt they had valid concerns about the new principal perhaps they should have reached out to the School Board, a committee that could actually do something about the situation if they deemed it necessary. Engaging on social media should not be a blood sport...in my opinion.

So is Facebook bashing merely being your authentic self or is it mean-spirited? Some people embrace it wholeheartedly and have taken it to a new level. Any day now I am expecting an announcement that it's been added as an event in the Olympic Games.

So back to my original question...where are you not being authentic in your life? It is easier said than done that we want to be true to who we are at our core. It takes courage and tenacity to embrace our truth and defend ourselves against the Trolls of the world. By taking baby steps forward toward our truth, one step at a time, I AM confident we will arrive at a place that feels like home, where our outside selves line up with our inside selves. This is being congruent with who you are, your authentic self. It takes courage to be you!

#Trolls #AuthenticSelf

#CourageToBeYou

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