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I, Me, You,
We,They, Them
We are mirrors to one another
Some sad, some happy, Some intense, while others angry.


Our faces say one thing, our voices say another.

Who are we really? Are we just another number?
Wake up o wise soul from slumber.
Your work is just beginning.
The mask you have is just another layer to push away your fears.
Waiting for you to be your authentic self.

Authenticity - the word in essence means being true to yourself.   Part of journaling is really being honest with yourself and there has to be a balance between your inner and outer world.  The pages in your book that you write reflect your inner world -but to the outside, who are u really? Are u really being the person you portray to be? or is it just another facade.  

Many many years ago, i took a course in mask making at the Jungian institute.   The goal of the course was looking at the many faces we carry throughout our life span and linking it to mythology.   The difference between our inner and outer world culminated with a final project of making our own masks which we believed defined our real self.   I bring up this incident because it speaks to the many layers that each of us have within us and the many faces we put on as masks on a daily basis thereby not being fully our authentic selves.  Authenticity is just that - it is shedding the many layers of our skin so that we can look at ourselves in the mirror and really like what we see and be the same self to everyone.  We are acting in accordance with our truth rather than how we think others may expect us to.  It takes years to get to that point.   Our mask is a way of coping with our fears and often become a defense mechanism when truth looks at us in the eye. Have you ever looked at a total stranger right in the eye and almost feel like you know their story without words- that is authenticity.  Authenticity is the willingness to look at the someone in the face and admit your mistake but still hold onto your beliefs of what makes you "YOU." 
A couple of months ago, I took an online course at the Therapeutic Writing Insitute - and one of the books we read was by Kathleen Adams - entitled "Scribing the Soul."  One of the very first chapters in the book was Scribing the Authentic Self - and she puts it very beautifully " The journal as mirror of the psyche, captures the inner man.  Stay with the journal process for even a little while and you'll start to see the layers of your life.  You'll begin to hear the voices  inside.  Like the increasingly soft leaves in each layer of an artichoke, the journal peels of layers of conditioning, habits, and worn-out beliefs and reveals the heart nestled snugly inside."   See link...twinstitute.net/

To me that's authenticity - allowing that piece of our heart that is snuggled inside to be open.   How many of us are hard like a rock/stone and so difficult to break?  And what is there to be afraid about? being naked?
Shery Arrieta-Russ, creator of Writesparks, a software that generates 10 million story sparkers for writes, says that
"When you live your life authentically, there is congruence between these two worlds. You close the gap between who you are, what you do and what you want others to get about you. Others get the real you when you speak from the heart and walk your talk.   Authenticity and personal power go hand in hand. The more you live authentically, the more personal power you possess. Even though you may have more conflicts, problems or fears by choosing to live authentically, these things can no longer control you and mess up your life. You are able to choose how you respond and deal with them. Choosing to live authentically requires honesty and a willingness to accept what you know to be true for you in every situation. It means not succumbing to the pressures to do what society views "right" or "acceptable." It involves self-trust and a deep conviction"  see link ... .  http://sheryruss.com/ -

Every since i started journaling and I guess not realizing going even further then that, i have been on a quest to going back to who I truly am - and i find that practicing authenticity requires courage - it takes patience with yourself  - but most of all it becomes a way of life and then there is no division between the outside and my inside world - we synch into one another and move with the flow rather than against the current.   In the long run i have to say that although i am not there yet, the journey has totally been worth it.  The message that has stayed with me throughout is that there is no need to strive to others' expectations - or your expectations of how you should be - to be that perfect mother, that perfect friend, that perfect wife, or that perfect father....but more so to who you truly are...
Some food for thought and exercises that have helped that i would like to pass on:
- the many roles I play -
- how do you practice authenticity in your life?
- Make a list of words that describe you? Now who knows about those qualities? you - everyone that you are around? or just those whom you are comfortable with?



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