The Courage to live Authentically in an Inauthentic World

Right now it is so common for people to search on the internet and Youtube for successful business models and try to copy those strategies. I have been there too. But it never worked for me. Every time I would watch some of these videos, I would feel an empty hole in my stomach. The reason I felt this is because they tried to teach me something that I did not wanted to follow. It wasn’t something I wanted to pursue, and if I did follow it, I would only do it for the money and it would make me miserable.

I think nowadays it is more important than ever to follow your own intuition, and have the courage to live authentically. Do what feels right inside of you, not for the get rich quick schemes and the status it can give you. Real success does not come overnight, and because of that it is far better to work on something you enjoy and will eventually take care of your income than doing something that your deeper self does not stand behind.

Sadly, we live in a capitalistic world where these things are very common, and what worked for them, does not necessarily mean it will work for you. A lot of factors come in to play, like luck and life circumstances. But deep inside you already know what you want to pursue, and the path you want to follow, and devoting your life to that path will make you a happier person, even if you do not achieve the amount of success that you thought you would.

The Courage to live Authentically | The Quiet Rebellions

The Radical Act of Saying No to Things That Don’t Align

It is actually very simple to say no to things that you don’t stand behind. Once you become familiar with the present moment and know who you are, your body and mind will automatically tell when something is right for you. The same way it will tell you when something is not worth your time and effort. Everyone knows what they love to do, yet the majority of people do not believe in it, which is why they do other things to make more money, so they could possibly do the thing they love later on.

Why not do the thing you love right away? There is always a possibility to create a sustainable life. You might not make as much money, but why would you want that if you already live a life that you love and feel aligned with? Even when it doesn’t work out right away, the key thing is to find balance in life, and to keep exploring your interests and talents. If you want something from deep within, life will give you plenty of opportunities to follow your path.

Why Choosing Depth over Speed is Revolutionary

Overnight success does not exist. Everything worthwhile that life has to offer takes time. That is why depth is more important than speed. We get trapped by these get rich quick schemes because we think that they are cheat codes to the life we desire. But they do not work. It is much more important to develop skills, talents, interests and connections in life. Those things take time to develop, and you never stop learning because you can always learn something new and go deeper.

You can also go deeper into the present moment and feel a stronger sense of connection. This is what makes life fun. There is always a new chapter to explore, and it would not be fun if you had the cheat codes to the game. There would not be anything else to do, and you would feel empty inside. You need to go with the flow of life and let it take you to new destinations. It is way more fun to immerse yourself into something and enter a state of deep focus, than it is to rush your way to the top.

Navigating Social Pressure

The Art of Disappointing Others to Stay True to Yourself

When you live authentically and listen to your own heart, there will be people who do not understand the decisions that you make in life. That is okay, but when this happens you might reconsider the relationship you have with those people. Because good friends and family will support you, even when you fail or life seems tough. Good people encourage you to stay true to yourself, and will not force you into something that you do not want. In the beginning, this might be hard, but later on it gets easier.

You will feel that you do not have to prove yourself to others anymore, and that you do not need their permission. We often think that we need permission to do something that excites us. But in reality it is only up to ourselves to do the thing. You and I have to let go of our shame and the worrying thoughts about what other people will think of us. We just need to take action and do the things that feel uncomfortable, because eventually those things will feel naturally.

The Courage to Share Your Struggles in a Highlight-Reel World

There is a lot of power behind showing other people your struggles. It requires from you that you are open minded and vulnerable. On social media, we often see the best moments from other people and they sometimes make us feel insecure. We do not see the failures and the amount of time and energy those people invested into their success. It is a shame, because we could learn so much more when more people are transparent and show us the other side of the process.

I think there is a movement happening, where more people are being real and more transparent, which is a good thing. We need more depth to social media and less noise. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from struggles as well. Even more than from achievements in fact. The struggles and tough moments shape us, and bring us closer to our personal success and happiness. I have learned the most from my darkest days, and it shows me a way how to cope with those moments, and how to grow stronger.

Inner Work & Self-Discovery

Unlearning Who You Think You Should Be

When you start exploring your inner world, you discover that who you think you should be is not who you really are. You might have a picture of future self in mind, where you have a luxurious house, a nice car and a high status, but none of that matters when you discover the powerful consciousness inside of you. Of course you can have those things, but you discover that you are already complete, and that nothing external can really make you happier.

You have a source of creativity inside of you, and following that creative flow will make you fulfilled. The point is that you express yourself from within, not the other way around. You inspire other people by showing them a piece of your inner consciousness. This is what it means to have the courage to live authentically, that you can naturally express yourself without fear or anxiety.

There are millions of ways you can express yourself, and the great thing is that you do not have to stick to one thing. I love writing, photography, painting, music and creating videos. You can develop different interests and weave them together into your work or portfolio. That is why the internet is so great, because you can share all of your work in one place.

Personal Story Angles

How Simplicity Taught Me to Be Real

Everyday I strive to make my life less complicated and simpler. Because I suffered from a mental illness, I know that the root cause of unhappiness and stress is often caused by a overcomplexity and worrying about things you can not control. I realized that I wanted to focus on things without being distracted by useless high dopamine noise. That is why I use a minimalist app for my phone and try to ignore things that are a cause of procrastination.

Simplicity taught me that the greatest things that bring you joy are simple. You experience the best moments when you have clarity and feel good about yourself and your environment. When you bring simplicity to your life, you develop your own authentic style and you do not compare yourself with others anymore, because you minimalize the ways to compare yourself.

This makes you feel more secure and real. You have more time to invest in things that have a higher value on your personal development, like reading books and exploring your interests. You need to realize that you have a limited mental capacity to process information. Just like your body will get exhausted when you exercise. You need to find a sweet spot where you train your muscle memory, but do not overload it.

My Inspiration for writing this article

The inspiration came from a book that I have read four or five times, called ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho. It is a wonderfully written book about a boy who is following his own legend. It gives you great insights about having an inner compass and listening to your heart. Many people do not listen to their intuition and ignore their calling. But when you do follow your intuition, the universe conspires to make your dreams come true.

You just have to be brave enough to be authentic, and to do what you truly want. The book also shows how your own legend is not a quick fix. It requires your efforts and sacrifices. The alchemists who only tried to learn how to turn lead into gold did not follow their legend. Much like a get rich quick scheme will not make you rich. Life is an exciting journey, and your intuition will guide you. I highly recommend the book, for times when you want to explore your interests and your next destination.

What Should you Do Next?

Whatever you do, do not follow the get rich quick schemes and shady businesses and investments. Build something that is authentic and yours. Follow your own intuition and create a life that you love and is in alignment with who you are and your desires. Do not compare yourself with people who have more money or seem more successful. Try to avoid it by focusing on your own life and minimizing the possibilities to compare yourself.

If you want to learn more about self discovery and actionable steps toward a better life, feel free to read some of my other articles, like the article ‘Start doing the things you love’.

Or you can watch some of my Youtube videos, like ‘Digital Minimalism’

I hope you will find more balance in your life and have the courage to live authentically.

Have a good day,

Mart Bergsma