While I really like this month’s feature article, The Authentic Lifestyle: Learning To Realign With Our True Selves, I’m having a hard time embracing all of it. First, I know I want to live with less noise and distraction and more balance, less conflict and more harmony. I think this is a path to more authenticity. Where I get stuck is in the very first paragraph: “Instead of . . . equating success with monetary gain or accomplishments, we can learn to appreciate the present moment and align our choices with personal values.”

I just experienced an occurrence of “stuckness” with my son, who starts university this fall. He doesn’t know what he wants to do, so he’ll be entering with an undecided major. We went through an exercise of looking at all the majors offered—I requested he do this to help him choose classes—and he identified all the ones that piqued his interest. I didn’t say anything, but think it’s likely that some of his choices will be replaced by artificial intelligence and/or come with low salaries. So now I feel like a jerk for “equating success with monetary gain.” Still, I know financial stability is a personal value shared by millions around the world. 

I suspect this is a hang-up I need to explore further. 

It’s easy to look externally for signs of success. Our society has some clear indicators—money, influence, and title, for starters. If I determine success by alignment with my personal values, where are the accolades? Who will pat me on the back? And what if I’m wrong? How will I know I’m wrong? And can I even be wrong? 

Living authentically is hard for those of us who like an external rating system. But doing so has a butterfly effect, inspiring those around you to live authentically too. As Sahara Rose Ketabi tells us, “You become the permission slip they didn’t know they needed.” 

Wishing you greater discovery and alignment with your values and permission this August,

Shannon