What appears real in our hurry flurry world often isn’t. Authenticity is big. Being real is in.
Not being true is passe. Being fake is to be a flake.
How do you tell the difference though? What appears shiny and true can either be a golden nugget or a trashy piece of styrofoam.
Making time to reflect helps. Doing an exercise from Danielle LaPorte’s (of White Hot Truth) Firestarter E-book is even better. Here’s a taste of an exercise you’ll find in her book. Figure out how you want to feel and you’ll be able to tell the real deal.
STEP 1:
How do you want to feel in the realm of your career/livelihood/ vocation/work/wealth?
Do a stream of conscious riff. Concepts, words, feelings, images. Put them all on paper. Fill up both sides if a tsunami of desire floods you. Invest in yourself. Want what you want. Go.
STEP 2:
Pattern recognition
Study your list of desired feelings in your vocation/work/career/wealth. Read it over a few times. Read it out loud if you’re inclined. Sleep on it. Take it for a walk. What jumps out at you, feels warm, feels YES!, feels really important and valuable?
Circle the words or concepts that really turn you on.
The objective of this exercise: narrow your list down to 3 to 5 desired feelings.
Whittling it down, making tricky choices: Having a tough time choosing between, say, “creative” and “artistic”, or “strong” and “powerful”? Try this:
- Look up the definitions of words. Each word is its own planet and knowing the actual definition and origin can be instantly illuminating.
- Repetitive questioning. This is a potentially annoying, galvanizing little mind trick: keep asking yourself how a feeling feels. Get underneath its skin. Like this: “So, what does confidence feel like? (Answer with the first thing that comes to mind.) It feels like winning. What does confidence feel like? It feels like being certain. What does confidence feel like? It feels like …. clarity. Bingo. What you really desire to feel is clarity.
- Write each word you’re considering on its own sticky note, even if it’s ten words. Stick them on the fridge for a day, or rimming your computer monitor and see how they make you feel. You’ll start to see how “confidence” is really summed up with the word “strong” or how “beautify, classy and elegant” are present in one word: “graceful”. Toss the sticky notes that don’t make the cut and see what you’re left with after a few days.
- Set a deadline for yourself. “By Saturday, I’ll be clear on my core desired feelings in my career and that’s that.”
- Don’t sweat it. This isn’t a test. You can change your mind later, have an a-ha moment, recalibrate it all when you wake up.
When you’re clear on how you want to feel finding the authentic amongst the fake is easier because you’ll be more authentic yourself. Things get clearer.
Want to get in on more of Danielle’s offerings? Simply click the image below and you’ll be taken to her Firestarter page. And yes, if you buy the e-book I do get a cut. I offer up the best to the best. I hope you take advantage and enjoy it.
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