Authenticity: A Strength or Weakness?

It's time for this months edition of the Self Discovery Word by Word Series. This month it is being hosted by Katie at Health for the Whole Self and the word she picked was authenticity.

When I first found out that the word for this month was authenticity, I was in the dark a little. I just didn't have an immediate idea of what I would write about like I did with the other topics. Gratitude was super easy for me, of course. With the vulnerability topic, I immediately knew what I would talk about, it was just hard for me to decide to open up. It's hard for me to want to talk about my weaknesses. I had to dig pretty deep to decide what thoughts I had on authenticity.

I obviously know what authenticity is. Being authentic is being original. It is being true to one's own personality. I think I am perhaps a little too good at being true to my personality. One of my favorite bands is 311. They have a song called "Strong All Along" and my favorite lyric goes:

Don't be afraid whatever you've got, show

Flaunt your personality, let me know your style

I am a BIG advocate for flaunting your personality. When people meet me, they tend to get to know me pretty fast. I showcase my personality, and I want to see other peoples personalities too. Of course, this isn't always a good thing. Some people see me for what I am, which is someone who is reaching out to others and legitimately wants to have fun. But my big personality intimidates others. I accept myself for who I am, but this is something I have been trying to work on. I am straightforward and loud, but I have been trying not to scare people.

I am definitely authentic when it comes to being true to my personality. Another side to authenticity is how genuine you are. You know when you talk to someone who is so perfectly nice, and when you finish your conversation with them you have the feeling that they were just so fake? Yeah, you'll NEVER get that with me. Why? I can't fake it. I am 100% genuine at all times. This is not a good thing. I really try super hard to be nice, but people can see right through me! When someone talks to me, they know EXACTLY how I feel about them. I'm too authentic for my own good I guess. I cannot not be genuine, no matter how hard I try. Lucky for me, I genuinely like most people I interact with, so I don't have to worry about it too often.

Authenticity sounds like it should be a strength, but in my case I would call it a weakness. Perhaps if I could learn to tone it down a little? Mix in a warm glass of shut the heck up every once in a while? Definitely something I need to learn to do.

I don't really know how to relate this to my weight loss journey. However, I have really liked this Self Discovery Word by Word Series. As I have lost weight and continue to lose weight, I discover more about myself each day. I am working on the things about myself I want to change, and I have accepted the things I can't change. This series gives me the opportunity for self reflection.

Today I'm thankful for my co-workers. They got to know me pretty fast, and they accept me weaknesses and all. They know I'm just playin.