An Authentic Life

An Authentic Life: A Key to Happiness

By Willow Moondragon Raevynwood

From the moment we are born, we are placed under a microscope. Society and media pressures keep us in their crosshairs. Even our parents, all though well intentioned, tend to place a great deal of pressure on us. As we get older, we fall victim to peer pressure in order to fit in. We see images in magazine and on television that tell us that conformity is the only way to happiness.


However, I find that to be untrue. As we try our hardest to conform to what our peers, society, the media, and our parents want, we often lose ourselves in the process. We start wearing masks in order to fit in. We hide our quirks in fear that they would lead us being labeled as a freak.


Many of us don’t realize the damage that this has caused until much later in life. I believe this to be the root cause of what is known as "the mid-life crisis" or even "identity crisis" We spend most our lives trying to conform and throwing things that don’t conform into a tight little box that we hide away deep inside ourselves. Little by little we start to realize that we aren’t living our life any longer. Then over the course of time, the items we threw into this box demand our attention and the lid pops off. This results in a process of self-awareness. We have to look at ourselves with honesty. We seek to finally live an authentic life, not a life that was influenced by others but one formed by our own will, dreams, and desires.


You don’t have to wait until the lid pops off the box and the contents come oozing out in order to begin leading an authentic life. I won’t lie to you. This process can be painful and frightening. You may experience anger and sadness when you shine the light on the compromises you’ve made to your dreams in the pursuit of conformity.


The first step is you have to open up that box and face those "freakish" things that you’ve tried to hide. However, you don’t have to fear those things in the box. They were always part of you and were always there. All you have to do is acknowledge their existence and see what you can learn from them. It’s time to stop worrying about what the neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, and your faith may think. This is your life and you are meant to live it to its fullest potential. You are the only you there is and you owe it to yourself and the world to let your true, authentic self shine and to let your "Freak Flag" fly. As the late, great Mama Cass once sang, "make your own kind of music even if nobody else sings along." I can guarantee you that by living an authentic life, one that is free of masks and illusions, you will find there are others that will sing along because they will see the joy and light you bring into this world.


To borrow the words of Elpheba from Wicked in the song, "Defying Gravity", it’s time to trust your instincts, close your eyes, and leap. It’s time to defy gravity. Strip away the masks and the weight of unwanted, unneeded, non-serving energy and allow yourself to soar. Again, you owe it to yourself and to the world. Many blessings and safe journey! Just remember to be true to yourself.