Are you for real? That’s a darn good question. Who gets to decide if you are for real or not? And just what is “being real” all about?
Well, being real means being your true unique self. It means being brave enough to let your true, authentic nature shine through — AT ALL TIMES. The problem is, most of us make our way through most of our lives with a preverbal veil hung over our spirit. We diminish its light and only allow the little bit that we feel our neighbors or peers will deem “socially acceptable” to shine through. And that is where the tragedy lies. Because for many of us, our potential, our true gifts stay hidden for fear of “what will the other guy think”. Who am I to be the brightest, shiniest, loudest, funniest, happiest version of myself? The better question, as renowned spiritual leader Marianne Williamson has prompted us with is “ Who are you not to?”
In a recent interview I conducted with prominent psychiatrist Dr. Mark Goulston, he shared an interesting take on the three acts of life and his experience with what it is we strive for as individuals during each respective chapter. According to Dr. Goulston:
Act 1: From our teens to age 40:
— We want a “piece of the action” — We strive for success.
Act 2: Ages 40 to 65:
— We want “piece of mind” — We strive for balance.
Act 3: Ages 65+:
— We want “peace on earth” — We strive for legacy.
So that got me thinking — I don’t want to turn around at the age of 90 and have lived a life devoid of legacy, simply because I was too scared to man-up and really delve into my true authentic power. Ok “great” you say — but what exactly does the road-to-real look like? Well, I’m still in the process of figuring that out, but one thing I can promise you is that if I don’t find my way to my true authentic self, I know deep down I will have missed out on the infinite beauty and incredible potential my life could have reflected — and that will be my big regret.
And so, with this note, I invite you to spend a couple of moments in silence with self, and pose the question: “Are you for real”? Then simply listen for the answer as it floats in on the winds of your soul…
Originally published at katerinacozias.com on June 11, 2017.
Originally published at medium.com