How to Come Home to Your Authentic Self

“Too often we don’t trust our own deepest truth; it makes us feel too vulnerable or it seems incongruous with the person we think we are or must be,” — Emily Hanlon

For most of my adult life, I believed that my happiness depended on finding my truth. If only I could uncover what I was truly here to be, to do, to become, then I would feel free.

I spent many hours completing personality quizzes, devouring self-help and personal development books, and even getting psychic readings to try to uncover my true calling. Many of these tools gave me insight and encouragement, but none left me feeling satisfied that I had found my truth.

As I continued to grow and pull back the layers of who I really was, I made a discovery: my evolution is my truth.

My own personal journey of growth and self-discovery is my truth. How I express that in the world at any given time is my calling. I am always at the exact point in my own evolution where I need to be.

This thought was liberating and freeing. It meant that I could let go of the pressures and expectations that I had placed on myself about who I should be. Embracing the idea that my evolution is my truth brought me a lot of peace, and I was able to stop constantly seeking answers.

It sounds simple, but it is not always easy to embrace our truth…

We are raised in a society that generally has a lot to say about who we should become. It can be extremely difficult to separate the expectations placed on us from our own true thoughts and feelings.

Sometimes our own thoughts and feelings are so intertwined with those from our family, friends, teachers and community, that we really have to dig deep to discover what feels right and sacred for ourselves.

I began by asking myself questions, such as “Do I value the security of a job? Do I believe that it’s possible to be a good mother and own a business? Do I believe that success is measured by how hard I work, or by my accomplishments or salary? Are these beliefs my own, or have I’ve picked them up elsewhere?”

I followed by asking, “Are these beliefs true for me?”

Everyone’s situation is different and everyone has different values, so it became really important for me to shine a light on my beliefs about what I valued and who I wanted to become.

When it’s especially hard to answer whether or not a belief is true for me, I know that I have to look inward…

There are many tools and techniques that you can use when you are seeking answers. Over the years, I have found that I keep coming back to meditation and journaling to help me connect with my personal truth. I believe that with practise, everyone can find a way to access their inner knowledge and guidance that works for them.

One of my favourite journaling techniques is to find a quiet spot, open a notebook or grab a piece of paper and write my question across the top of the page. I take a couple of deep breaths and ask my inner wisdom for guidance. Then, I just start writing.

I continue the free-flow writing for five minutes or until I feel that I am done. Sometimes I might repeat the exercise with a different question in order to get more clarity. Other times I might just let the writing sit for a few days, then come back to it and see what messages might be trying to come through.

Listening to our inner wisdom and acting on our personal truths takes courage and can make you feel extremely vulnerable. But it’s worth it!

The greatest pain doesn’t come from disappointing others by not living up to their version of who you should be – it comes from betraying yourself and not living your own personal truth.