Journey to Authenticity...

Live From Your Heart! Your skin may be the largest organ of your body – but it is merely the surface; the part that others can see of you. So much so, that a joke or a smile can disguise great pain on the inside. Your skin is but a shell of yourself. You are charged to protect it, to care for it; you may even go to great lengths to maintain a youthful appearance. It’s lovely that your shell can be attired with expensive clothing, perfected by stunning makeup or adorned with exquisite jewels – but does this make you truly alive, engaged in life? Does all that provide any indication of what it’s like to really live? Often we smile on the outside when we are hurting inside. This is necessary for a time… when a positive expectation or attitude can yield positive results or an effective outcome. It should not be allowed to hide your truth for a lifetime – hiding will begin to destroy your self trust. We must not allow ourselves to be confused by 'good attitude' over authenticity! Live from your heart! Your heart is unseen by others – not a large organ but without it you cannot live. To disguise what resides there, may reap disastrous results. Your heart is the core of your being … physically, emotionally, spiritually. You are trained by experiences whether good or bad to guard or share it, hide or expose it, close or open it – doubt or trust the heart’s response. If you guard, hide, close or doubt yourself from your core, you may find that your heart is no longer engaged in reality. Then you will die certain death, because without a heart the body cannot survive and similarly without engaging your heart – you cannot truly live!! Matters of the heart are a delicate topic, as people rarely find it easy to expose their true selves – honestly identifying that they have been wounded in the past by another person’s words, deeds or attitudes. It’s not uncommon to want to be strong and assume that continued endurance is reflective of great strength. In believing only that, we then begin pretending that the way we chose to deal with our heart is common… doesn't everyone live this way? Conversely, when we are faced with feelings of love for someone we initially are afraid to let down our guard and openly risk the truth of the heart. Worrying whether we should be first to admit the depth of these feelings. Do you risk exposure of the unguarded heart? What if the truth is not well-received or worse, not reciprocated? We doubt our worth to be loved, we hide what we truly feel, and could ultimately close the door to authenticity again. I submit that the risk to be authentic is worth the price you must pay to achieve it. Even if it brings with it unsettling fear, a daunting journey into uncharted territory or worst of all rejection, you will experience life – authentically. It is then that you will see the contrast. A bitter-sweet perspective. You can feel the pain because you are alive... the worst pain you "feel" on any given day is better than being numb for the rest of your life!!! Being alive to feel the pain, you can also truly feel joy or love or pleasure. Hold onto the hope that one day you may find the true identity of love without limits… unconditional and fulfilling. The small details of life will begin to have meaning, bring pieces of clarity, and understanding – the picture develops more clearly all the time. Feel the fear… do it anyway. The look in the eyes of another when you are first to risk your love is a beautiful thing. The truth lived well brings new faith; a hope that things to come will be better than that which you have lived so far. Choose to live authentically – take a risk; find the joy of living from your heart!

j.entry 7.4.2006

HonuGirl