I’m hearing many discussions around the topic of “being authentic”.  A number of people who come to me for coaching note that as one of their goals.  They often haven’t thought it through.

“I want to be really authentic.”

“Why?”  I asked?

“Because people seem to admire it.”

“Oh.  How did you come to be inauthentic?”

“Because I was trying to turn into someone other people admired.”

“So, now you want to be authentic so others admire you?”

The word authentic comes from the Greek word authentes which means, "someone who acts on one's own authority," from autos "self" + hentes "doer, being."

There you go.  There’s the formula for being authentic.  Acting on your own authority.  It comes from you.

Acting on your own authority is very different than acting to be admired.

The first is about using your own power, the second is about giving it away.

Be the cause!