I set an intention everyday, what I want to inspire, attract & manifest in my day. Today is “authenticity” so I ask myself what is authenticity? My authenticity is different than anyone else’s, as is yours. I believe authenticity is an ability to be true to one’s self & your highest callings. This can be ever evolving & changing depending on where we are called to at different times of our lives. How can we honor & express our genuine heartfelt desires & gifts in our own unique way that somehow makes the world a better place. Farmers, janitors, teachers, plumbers, inventors, builders, accountants, arborists, artists, musicians & so many more professionals, are each using their unique skill, talent & gifts to make positive contributions for the betterment of mankind & our earth.
Even beyond a vocation, which does not truly define us, is the heart & soul vividly come to life, with living in alignment with your passions & gifts, in being genuine in your words, choices & actions; authentic in the path you walk each day. This will leave the most profound influence & impact on those around you … a man, woman or child true to their word speaks volumes in building character & integrity in all the lives they touch. Authenticity attracts authenticity! What we put out there is what we will receive! Love, cry, cuddle, hibernate, dance, paint, learn a new profession or hobby, sing, hike, write, read, be open to giving & receiving compassion & love to others & yourself, envision & live how you truly see yourself being!
Who can you most be yourself with? Those individuals are likely leading an authentic life, which carries the highest vibration. Who & what we choose to spend our time with is directly related to the quality & character of our lives! Gaining wisdom & greater discernment with life experience helps us to know who is authentically healthy for us to be with. Attracting people & events to heighten & support your living true to your highest path & purpose & your ideals of your authentic self is crucial. We can all choose to strive to live in our truths; all while loving where you have been, what you have become & what you are yet to be. When we can unconditionally forgive ourselves for our mistakes & let go of self judgement of our vulnerabilities, we can come closer to revealing & living from the core of our being & help others do the same. When we are uninhibited & fierce in being our true & highest self, just your presence teaches & raises others up. This leads to happier individuals, marriages, communities, countries & continents around our world.
Often, our insecurities can come from thinking we are supposed to be like someone else, distant from our own authenticity. We can never really compare ourselves to someone else & try to be like them, because we are different & unique & we are meant to be. We can give ourselves permission to live in our authenticity, wherever that place is for each of us. This is a place where true peace resides, knowing you are being true to yourself.
Definitions of authenticity include: genuine, original & as the Oracle of Delphi says, “know thyself, but authenticity extends this message. Don’t merely know thyself – Be thyself !“ According to philosopher Kierkegaard, authenticity is reliant on an individual finding authentic faith & becoming true to oneself. He believes that authentic faith can be achieved by facing reality & passionately sticking to it. Author & philosopher, Nietzshe also places responsibility on the individual to take active part in the shaping of one’s beliefs & then to be willing to act on that belief. We can all develop awareness, faith & freedom to choose & follow our own path of authenticity!
As a physical therapist specializing in holistic integrative healing, I have helped to facilitate people’s healing for 35 years. I strongly believe that the deepest healing comes from connecting to & honoring your true authentic self, truly living in your excitement, gifts & what brings you most alive. I humbly believe that an important part of my excellent success as a therapist has been that I am reminding. encouraging & empowering individuals to connect with, honor & live in their true, authentic selves. This is deeply healing on emotional, spiritual, & physical levels. When we listen, interact, or give in a way that holds sacred space for another, we honor people where they are at & create a profound space of healing. Trusting your authentic path, transforming your trauma, your emotional & physical pain, somehow, into lessons, growth & meaningful action to make your life & others better will lift you above the adversity to be more empowered to share & shine your authentic gifts & light in the world.
Our authenticity is what creates diversity. Thus, if we all honor & respect our individual authenticity & our collective diversity, our world would be much closer to living in true peace & harmony. I believe someday our earth will have no borders as it naturally is & their will be goodwill towards all of mankind & our sacred Mother Earth.
I will humbly share my authenticity in hopes that it may inspires you to live in yours.
*There is so much light, love & compassion in me & it gives me great joy to share it. I love to help facilitate healing & happiness for others, all creatures great & small, as well as our sacred earth. I feel so blessed to have connected with my authentic gifts. This, I believe helps me to be in my greatest service to God, Humanity & Mother Earth.
*My light shines brightest when I am living in and sharing my authentic gifts, facilitating healing, uplifting the hopes & spirits of the downtrodden, bringing out the best in people for their own growth & evolution, dancing just for the joy of dancing, connecting with what people most need to move forward on their path & helping them in regaining hope & optimism, connecting deeply with amazing hearts & spirits who inspire & uplift by choosing to be beautiful. I love & cherish my deep heartfelt relationship with my sons. I love to live my life as a prayer or intention in action. I am excellent at manifesting what I want, I say ever so humbly & gratefully. The more authentic I am inwardly & outwardly, more synchronistic events happen daily.
*I love giving & receiving affection with humans & animals. I love helping animals to heal too & have had miraculous results with birds, cats & dogs. I am passionate about protecting animals, our children & all of our nature’s majesty.
*I love music, nature & it’s creatures, meditation, teaching, quiet, cuddling with my husband, dancing, yoga, heart centered connection. My connection to God, Jesus, my guides, ancestors & loved ones passed on is humbling & exciting because I know I am living in spirit! This reaffirms I am on the right path & purpose everyday. We can all tune into this higher knowing & spiritual connection when we are living in our authenticity. All of these knowings & divine connections inspire me & create a serenity & aliveness within me.
*I just love pretty things. I love to feel pretty. I love pretty flowers & photographs of our children & their artwork. I love beauty & I am more authentically & peacefully me when I am surrounded by the beauty & majesty of nature.
*My authentic self totally loves being in sacred relationship with my husband, best friend, twin flame & soulmate, Paul Knoll. He is authentic & holds that safe sacred space for me to be authentic. I am extraordinarily blessed to share my life with a man with a pure heart & pure soul, who lives true to himself & his ideals. I hope I might inspire & enliven in him all he does in me.
*I am embracing the beauty of growing older. It’s easier to give yourself permission to have imperfections because they become more apparent with wrinkles, gray hair & such, although every wrinkle & scar is valiantly earned & symbolizes the pain of life we have endured & championed above, to keep alive & thriving in this sacred dwelling of our being. They are a beautiful reminder that we are meant to have imperfections. I am sinking more into this & it is ever so liberating. I am free of the chains I bound myself in trying to achieve perfection. I am free to be my authentic self every day & every moment being present & ok with my vulnerabilities & my strengths.
I am living in my authenticity as I am honoring my truths & find courage to let go of many attachments & embark on many new experiences & adventures of a lifetime. We can all dare to share our gifts & find courage to live life,stepping forward each day hopefully more awake than the day before, as we create a Life To Live For all along the way.
Nelson Mandela said in his book, Notes to the Future, “courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it, the ability to act despite it. Courage is the triumph of our hearts love & commitment over our mind’s reasonable murmurings to keep us safe.” I believe our ‘heart’s love‘ is our authenticity.
One of my favorite definitions of spirituality is “listening & abiding by your conscience “ & one of my favorite life’s mottoes is,“do the right thing & not the easy thing.” I believe synchronously, when we are in alignment with being our highest selves, we are in fact being very spiritual because we are listening & abiding by our conscience, living awake, acting sincere & consciously choosing love, integrity & the right choice over the easy. It is when we are not distracted by all the diversions & endless obsessions of survival & needs, when we can surrender & choose to live in our highest authenticity in every moment. Then We are happy, content, peaceful, conscious, alive & contributing just by your positive presence. When we are at home with ourselves we attract many individuals who aspire to be in that place of authenticity. This genuine connection offers a natural affirmation when someone sees & acknowledges who you really are & enjoys your company! Those relationships where we can truly be authentically ourselves are encouraging, refreshing, real, vulnerable, uplifting & offer a window to a deeper connection to ourselves & each other.
*I am more authentically myself when I am peaceful & not rushed. I am more connected to my truths & my heart, more present with others, nature & spirit.About 15 years ago, My closest girlfriend said one day, “the only time I see you lose yourself is when you get frenetic, trying to do too much & worrying about what other people think.” Wow! That stopped me in my tracks ! Now that’s a good friend, calling me on losing my authenticity to try to impress others. Wow, again. Her honesty made me reflect deeply. One of my favorite spiritual authors of our time, Wayne Dyer said, “emotional maturity is independence of the good opinion of others, following your heart & doing the right thing & being detached from the outcome & appreciation of the beauty around us.” I believe this level of emotional maturity is also living in our authenticity.
So why do I pile so much on? Making detailed lengthy lists most often impossible to complete in a day feeding into self criticism taken on from mother. Blah! Blah! Blah! A life pattern of being an over achiever, caring deeply for everyone, carrying the emotional & energetic weight of being the caretaker in an alcoholic dysfunctional family & bringing those coping mechanisms into my adult life, developing unhealthy habits to help stuff my own pain, in my quest to be different than my family. Crushed when my Dad died at 13 y.o. I believe I loved him more than anyone because I saw & touched his heart & soul. He shared with me his deeper feelings & desires & vision of self & family & world as well as an intellectual & spiritual curiosity for life. With him I experienced an authentic relationship, in his sober moments. I loved who he authentically was, not the mean, nasty drunk, who repeatedly left huge welts on my naked ass & legs from whippings with the thick worn belt saved just for these occasions, in which I most often had done nothing wrong, not the violent drunk who beat my mother, frequently rendering her to wearing a neck collar for days at a time after particularly brutal nights. I remember all too vividly her surviving him attacking her with a butcher knife in the middle of the night, while all 4 of us little children screamed hysterically from upstairs, in utter horror pleading with him not to kill our mother. This terrifying flashback in my mind with so many others, that never quite go away, hauntingly remind me to be true to my authentic childhood vows at 8 y.o. , to be different than my parents. I knew somehow, there was light out there somewhere. I vowed to be positive, even during times of adversity, to love & care more deeply than I had known, to give more healing & kindness that the world so greatly needs, and to be love. Through my quest to be true to my heart & my vows, I became what I believed I could be. I found the light in me, the light of God & the light in others!
As mean as my mother was as well, she only stayed with him, for us. He did promise to stop drinking but he didn’t keep his promise. He wasn’t being true to his authentic self. He died a young aching lush. I did not like the drunk either who was sexually inappropriate & wounded a sibling & apparently me, she says. I don’t remember. One of my coping mechanisms that has served me well, to a point, was to most often block out the trauma & remember the good in people. I deeply know that my ability to rise above these adversities with forgiveness,love & healing, has transformed me in all ways that has brought me closer to my authentic self. Sometime it’s the fight that strengthens your determination to persevere in the direction of your dreams !!! This is living an authentic life.
I authentically want to be like the Dali Lama who when asked how he always remains so calm & peaceful? He answered : “I’m always early.“
My dear friend, spiritual mentor & Shaman, Marlene Myers says, “When we can go to the depths of our despair & forgive, we will then rise to the heights of ecstasy & be more powerful in our gifts .” I humbly share, she also said my ability to do this, makes me even more powerful in my gifts of healing.
I am very thankful to be forgiving & continually healing & evolving but I still wish my father was here & had been a part of my life & my children’s lives. His free will went in the bottle. Alcohol clearly makes people do a lot of very bad things I believe they would not do in an authentically sober place. Yes, nearly everyone’s lives have been negatively impacted by drunken behaviors: children, families, businesses, loyalties & lives devastated, torn down & lost. It’s like alcohol disconnects oneself from a higher conscience. Do we want to stay stuck in the same coping mechanisms of temporarily checking out of reality when it doesn’t really make the pain or problem go away. In fact,it weakens our fight to strengthen our weaknesses ,to triumph over adversity. Drugs & mind altering prescription medications can do similar things, taking us away from our authenticity. We can use our energy towards higher ideals of our authentic selves. I am, as we all are, a work in progress & that’s a good thing!
When we can speak, honor & act on when we don’t want to do something that is not in our highest good, that is finding the courage to be authentic, to trust in your deeper knowing. I did this over the last year. I made a conscious choice to not drink alcohol. Although, I was not by any means a heavy drinker, I knew it was not in my highest good. It made me more emotionally needy & stuck in my insecurities instead of moving forward. Now I more readily own & reflect on my behaviors & their true impact. It’s hard work sometimes to be totally authentic & honest with ourselves & others. We all have insecurities, which is a reflection of ego being stuck. Sometimes the ego is too puffed up, centered around self versus how we can make a positive impact on the world around us. Wallowing in our own self doubts, self judgments or insecurities is our ego or mind squelching our higher aspirations. Alcohol consumption can contribute to us ‘wallowing’ instead of moving forward. Taking steps each day & moment to connect & live from your place of authenticity creates greater possibilities to make a positive difference around us. It feels more genuine as I give myself the opportunity to go deeper, and heal & rise above the trauma to transform it to my pure essence of authentic goodness I know I am meant to share with the world. Even mistakes can teach us great lessons that we learn & evolve from, thus are not failures, but potential pathways to more authentic, better versions of ourselves.
My greatest mistake was driving after I drank too much alcohol, many years ago, and worse that my son was with me in the car. He saw me get handcuffed & came later with my ex husband to pick me up from jail saying at 12 y.o., “Mom, I love you just the same,” & his Dad, even though I had divorced him, said to the police, she is a great lady, a pillar in the community, please let me know anything I can do to help get her out tonight. They waited & drove me home when I was released about 3 a.m. I had no words, only deep regret for driving under the influence knowing I could have hurt my son or someone else. I really thought I was ok & that is the problem with drinking & driving ever, at all, because your judgement is impaired & that makes it unsafe to drive & endanger others. This was a very painful period of my life, filled with deep regret & shame for what I had done, which really was not in alignment with my higher authentic self. Yet, I learned great lessons. I chose a higher path of integrity of more fully walking my talk & owning that all my thoughts & actions have consequences. From this very core of our authentic self we can make more fully conscious decisions. We must respect others & ourselves to live fully from a place of authenticity. To me, being sober means being free to be me, to be present & remember every sacred memory, connection & event. That is all we take with us is our memories of sacred time together. Being sober also means not contributing to a poison that kills individuals & destroys families, contributing to higher domestic abuse & unemployment & children & families depending on welfare. Personally, it made me feel lethargic & dense verses being in my joie de vivre ,emotionally needy, instead of totally present & I believe it closed down my spiritual connection. Interestingly, I got the DUI on my father’s birthday. I was sentenced to do a week of community service starting on my birthday, so these were dates reminding me of the gift of life & how my fathers’ had ended far to early because of alcohol. I wish he could meet my children & my husband. I am so blessed to be closer than ever to my husband, being sober ! We are touching each other’s hearts & spirits more deeply in our genuine authenticity.
Do you have a habit, attachment or addiction that is taking you away from being your best authentic self? Are you willing to reflect on this behavior & make changes in alignment with your highest self ? What we don’t heal, our children are more apt to take on. Hopefully, I am being a more positive influence on our children who struggle with some habits that may not be in their highest authentic good. If one person is strengthened by my sharing my vulnerabilities, it will be worth any risk in doing so. In fact, as I shed layer upon layer of pain & shame , my husband held safe space for me to express my authentic self. When releasing so much pain brought seemingly endless tears I asked my husband how I could fix myself. He said, “don’t try to fix it. Your vulnerability makes you even more beautiful.” That was a profound gift. What we can heal & rise above can heal many future generations . Authenticity is owning our vulnerabilities & weaknesses, then we can be more empowered to change them for the better. As the Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu wrote in The Book of Joy, “ We can use our tears, stress & frustrations, as a well from which we can draw from the lifegiving waters of our emotional & spiritual growth.” They also advised , “Do not give up human poignancy of sadness, nor the enlivening power of rage, simply infuse them all with love .”
Authenticity is honoring your deeper need to be & not always doing. Therein lies the gems of your soul, hidden & waiting to be un-buried. When we connect with & live in our most true authentic selves, we will also connect with our gifts & highest potentials to be a positive force in the world!
When we can be more inwardly authentic with ourselves & outwardly authentic with the world, we can bring deeper healing, growth, heart centered choices,excitement, spirit driven action, pure joy & a sharing of our unique gifts with ourselves, each other & our world. I believe being truly authentic with yourself & others is what self actualization really is. We all have the choice to be authentic & embody being a genuine truthsayer. You see the truth because you are the truth! Whatever you choose is your own unique path. Being true to your inner highest ideals will magnify your power to make positive changes & contributions to the world & will inspire all who are touched & uplifted by your presence! We are all on a personal & collective pilgrimage to discover & live in our authenticity. At our very core we want to live in a way that feels good & right. Truth empowers individuals & relationships in all walks of life.
Genuineness connects, inspires & motivates hearts across distant lands & seas. Authenticity aligns you with your highest ideals & vision for yourself & your capacity to create positive changes within & around you. As I connect & live more deeply & openheartedly in my authentic self, I feel more & more liberated, joyful, peaceful, present, connected, creative & excited in countless ways everyday.
I pray to touch your life with hope, inspiration & love. Living true to your authentic being at the deepest levels will bring you to find a deeper love & compassion for yourself that turns conflict into love, judgement into holding sacred space, tragedy into grace & profound healing for for all, as you go forth having more pure love & positive vibes to share.
May your journey bring you to a place of deep self respect, one where truth & genuineness reside, where peace & passion exist, where you have the freedom & courage to be your authentic self in all aspects of your life and being for the betterment & uplifting of all!
With love and respect,
Donna Maria
