Welcome to 31 Days to an Authentic You

{#HearItUseIt linkers, scroll down to the next post!}

I’ve been thinking about authenticity for a while now, ever since my friend Sarah leaned over our table at Meadowlark coffee shop and asked me, “What’s your core question, your life question?”

Sarah goes deep. She’s a soulful, thoughtful, deep-thinker. While I’m concerned about whether my earrings are too matchy-matchy with my necklace, Sarah is thinking about core questions.

So of course I had to ask Sarah to clarify — I’m thinking about jewelry, girl, what the heck is a core question?

Your core question, Sarah explained, is the central question that informs many aspects of your life and continues to resurface at different points and in different circumstances, from the professional to the personal realm. It’s the question you come back to, consciously or subconsciously, again and again and again.

I know. Am I right or what? She’s deep.

I couldn’t answer Sarah’s question at first. Or rather, I should say I was unwilling to answer her question. It was too big, too scary, too personal. Why think about my core question when I can distract myself with accessorizing?

But the more I thought about it, I knew. I knew my core question deep in the center of my soul. My core question, my life question, I knew was this: “Am I authentic?”

That question has been sitting heavy like an x-ray apron on my heart for a few weeks now. Last week, as I was running my same-old route, I asked God what I should write about for 31 days straight, and the answer sprang instantly into mind: authenticity.

Of course I argued with him. No thanks, I said, heaving down the running path. I don’t even like to think about authenticity, never mind write about it for a month straight. How about we try something else, shall we?

God didn’t let me off the hook.

I’ll tell you straight up, I’m not entirely sure what living authentically looks like and what it even means. I don’t have any clear answers. And despite the fact that “31 Days to an Authentic You” sounds like I have my act together, like I’m going to offer you a fail-proof plan, that’s not exactly the case. That title might be a teeny bit of a misnomer. More like that’s what I’m hoping for. In fact, I suspect authenticity might be more like life-long goal, rather than a 31-day plan. Still, I’m hoping that by the end of October, you and I might have a clearer understanding of authenticity and what it looks like and feels like to live authentically – as people, as believers, as spouses, parents and professionals.

I’m looking at this process as a 31-day journey, with what I hope will be a few glimmers of light along the way. I’m not offering an guarantees, but I sure am grateful you’re along for the ride.

So tell me, as a way to launch the conversation, what does authenticity look like for you? Do you have a definition of “living authentically” that you might share here?

One little housekeeping detail: The Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday link-up community will still take place here throughout the month of October – those posts will go live on Sundays at 8 p.m. CT. So really, I’ll be doing “27 Days to an Authentic You,” if you want to get technical.

Want to know more about 31 Days? Hop over to The Nester’s Place.

31 Days to an Authentic You

Day 2: Scary and New

Day 3: Dear Klout, I’m No Fool

Day 4: Own the Truth

Day 5: Find Your YOU

Day 6: Be Transparent Anyway

Day 7: Go as You are. Use What You Have.

Day 8: When You’re Afraid to Ask for Help

Day 9: When You Want to Fit In

Day 10: Assumptions Inhibit Authenticity

Day 11: Fake It Till You Make It