I Had To Learn How To Live Authentically

No one told me that was something I'd have to figure out on my own as an adult.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.” That’s great personal and professional advice! It’s also a line from a film I recently saw, A Bronx Tale: The Original One-Man Show.

Here’s the thing:

Living as our authentic selves — in life, work, and love — can be uncomfortable, risky, and hard to do.

This can be especially true for those of us who were once taught (whether implicitly or explicitly) that our authentic selves weren’t acceptable, safe, or worthy of love.

Nobody gets through life without scars—whether emotional or physical, and whether we show them or not. Personal experiences, meditation, therapy, and inner child work have taught me these lessons. Here’s something else life has taught me:

The risk of avoiding authenticity can be greater than the benefits of facing it.

Take a look at the Tiny, Private Love Letter’s about section. With access to the Private Parts, I’m writing today’s letter to you in the interest shared growth. I want to reflect on challenges (and opportunities!) I’ve faced along my own quest to live even more authentically. And how I did it.

In particular, I want to talk about how five things — toxic people, lack of representation, uncertainty about personal values, fear of rejection, and fear of judgement — can sink you, and what I’ve learned we can we do to avoid that.