Authenticity

We want to believe.

We crave loyalty.

We need assurance.

We are human after all.

• In creating characters in fictional tales, those that resonate with the reader are the characters who are either perceived as most authentic in their expressions of truth or deception.  Literature mirrors the fabric of humanity highlighting concerns on the human condition creating understanding and connections with the reader. Readers want to identify with characters in the books they read to keep hopes and aspirations alive.

 

• In conversation, the following were identified as underpinning the expression of authenticity

#  motives,
#  relationships
#  sincerity

What does it truly mean to be an authentic person?
Fifteen character components that I identify as essential in this quest for personal authenticity or that which you create in your characters could include:

 

• being true to yourself first before you can be true to others
• going it alone even if you are the only person in the room holding a different view
• saying you can’t do it anymore or that you need assistance
• risking friendship by saying you feel used or need to be heard.
• being proud of one’s origins, culture and values
• acknowledging the presence of others
• being comfortable in your own skin
• being truly happy for others in all they accomplish
• embracing diversity/ withholding judgment on race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, socio- economic standing
• greeting with a smile that extends from the soul to the eyes to the mouth
• upholding the truth as it is
• not allowing fear to govern choices
• protecting vulnerability rather than exploiting it.
• reaching out to those in need even if you don’t have enough for yourself
• striving to be the best version of yourself.

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How Difficult is it to be Authentic?

It does not require one to renounce worldly aspirations nor live like a saint or hermit.
Being authentic is simply being you, not a carbon print of someone else or living up to the expectations of others.

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If you are always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be- Maya Angelou

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.- Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the essence of true beauty.- Dr. Steve Maraboli

Enjoy the lyrics that beautifully and simply says it:

Enjoy!

 

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Should your brave new world of being true to yourself be feared?

Only if you lose – your way – yourself – in a sea of manipulation and deception. The character, Meryl in Across Time and Space undergoes a steep learning curve to emerge as…I leave you to find out…and the sequel will reveal more.
When you are surrounded by authentic people, you feel the positive vibration around you. This energy allows you to flourish. Separating the wheat from the chaff comes with life experience as you glide towards the true, the real you.

 

Here’s to creating enhanced versions of ourselves and the characters we create