On Authenticity

2 AM and I’m still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, it’s no longer inside of me
Threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd
‘Cause these words are my diary screaming out loud
And I know that you’ll use them however you want to.

— Anna Nalick, “Breathe (2 AM)”

☼

To be candid with someone,
To be your true self to the world,
To not let what others think of you or say to you make you change into something you are not…

In many ways, this seems impossible, but so does anything in life that brings us deeper fulfillment and peace.

To live authentically is truly frightening because you realize that you are fully accountable for what you are doing. You cannot hide behind excuses or other people, and you will feel the full scrutiny of judgment if you make a mistake or if something you worked hard for and truly believed in does not work out.

Alternatively, in life, you cannot avoid judgment or suffering.

So you must ask yourself:
Would you rather have ownership over your outcomes and at times suffer by your own hand, or suffer by the hand of others and have nothing to truly call your own?