Coaching Information

How to be Your Authentic Self


Most of us play many different roles in the course of any given day. We could be Mom, Boss, Employee, Student or Friend, to name just a few. Very often we identify ourselves by those roles. When asked, "Who are you/" we say, "I'm a wife and mother", "I am a doctor and amateur photographer". We identify ourselves by how the world sees us, not by who we really are.

Our authentic self is who we really are, deep at the core of our being. Our authentic self is not who the world labels us to be. The authentic self is driven by our individual values and our specific needs.

In order to learn to be our authentic self, we must first discover our authentic self. To discover is to learn of the existence of something. Self-discovery is learning of the existence of our core values and needs.

Discovery is not a one step process. Although there are many "a-ha" moments in discovery, there is a lot of hard work that must be done before and after experiencing those "a-ha" moments in order to incorporate that discovery into our daily lives. Once we say "a-ha" I really value adventure and creativity and I really need support and tenderness, it is time to incorporate those values and needs into our daily lives.

While most of us would date the discovery of penicillin to the early 1940's, the first "a-ha" moment came much earlier. Sir Alexander Fleming discovered that the mold growing on his unwashed culture plates was repelling the bacteria surrounding it in 1928. It was not until 1940 that Ernst B.Chain and Sir Howard Florey first tested penicillin on animals. And it was not until 1941 that pharmaceutical companies in the United States started penicillin production, a long road to the discovery of penicillin.

Self-discovery is also a long road. In truth, we can continue to discover ourselves throughout our lives. But, we have to work at it. We have to look deep into our core to find our inherent values and needs.

Think about what values motivate your daily life. In any community there are shared values. These might be honesty, integrity, respect, and helpfulness. You might share these values with colleagues, friends and family. In addition to these shared values you will have values that are specific to you as an individual.

Your individual values might be, to contribute, to discover, to teach and to create. These values are specific to you and are what propel you to become who you are. You are more likely to be drawn to work in the arts if your core values consist of creativity, originality, discovery and beauty. By the same token, you would be more likely to become a teacher if your core values consist of guiding, inspiring, learning and informing.

The other factor to be considered in becoming our authentic self is the needs that drive us emotionally. We can not be our authentic self without having those needs met.

You might have the need to be empathetic in your relationships, or to experience adventure. Perhaps your need is to be really connected to your family or community. These needs go beyond the shared human needs of food, shelter and safety.

We often confuse wants with needs. To want something is to desire it. We may want a bigger house, newer car or financial independence. We can achieve those desires and still have core needs that are unmet. We have all heard the saying " Money doesn't buy happiness". The truth in that adage is that "money" is an external want not an internal need. When our internal needs are not met, it matters not what external gains we accomplish, we are left un-fulfilled.

If we don't live by our core values we are in essence creating core needs. For instance, if we have discovered that our core values consist of things like, creativity, originality and imagination and yet we work and live in an environment with no room for original thinking and conceptualization, , we are not being our authentic selves. In turn we are creating the unmet needs of creativity, originality and imagination.

So, in order to be our authentic self we must embrace the path of self-discovery. We must look deep within our being and discover our core values and needs. We then must choose our goals and our path in life based on those core values and needs.

Beth Densmore is a Personal Life Coach who offers support, inspiration and motivation to those who are in transition and want to achieve a goal. For more information and more free articles like this, visit her site at http://www.newfocuscoaching.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

Bleacher Report

Past offers few clues to Kiffin’s head coaching ability
My Tennessean.com, TN - 55 minutes ago
By Bryan Mullen • THE TENNESSEAN • December 2, 2008 Tennessee’s newly anointed football coach spent a year and a half at the helm of the Oakland Raiders, ...
Kiffin takes command of state's top franchise Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
Safety Hunter waiting to talk with Kiffin GoVolsXtra
Varied opinions on Kiffin hiring Jackson Sun
The Associated Press - Bleacher Report
all 1,306 news articles


USU football: Coaching search near end
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 3 hours ago
By Tony Jones Posted: 3:43 PM- The process to replace Brent Guy as Utah State's football coach appears to be nearing a conclusion. ...
Wyoming selects first in coaching go-round Deseret News
Looking at possible coaching changes in the coming weeks Block U
Monson: Andersen's the man for USU football Salt Lake Tribune
Deseret News - Deseret News
all 10 news articles


Los Angeles Times

Resignation Raises Issue of Minorities in Coaching
New York Times, United States - Nov 30, 2008
By PETE THAMEL Mississippi State Coach Sylvester Croom resigned on Saturday, ending his tenure as the only African-American head football coach in ...
Jackson Reacts to Coaching Change DawgsBite.com
MSU COACHING SEARCH:Will they stay ... Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
With Croom gone, Miss. St. focuses on what's next SportingNews.com
Biloxi Sun Herald - DawgsBite.com
all 988 news articles


Greenwood Index Journal

A coaching move that would make sense
Washington Times, DC - 10 hours ago
Pearman remained the special teams coordinator at 'Bama when Swinney was both a grad assistant (1993-95) and tight ends coach (1996-97) for the Crimson Tide ...
Clemson's coaching appointment needs to consider past and future Greenville News
Dabo mum on potential staff changes The State
Coaching candidates whom Clemson should not consider RealFootball365.com
SportingNews.com - Bleacher Report
all 677 news articles


Ruth Ann Harnisch Accepts ICF Foundation Invitation to Join Board
MarketWatch - 3 hours ago
The ICF Foundation's mission is to support coaching research, pro bono coaching and other studies related to the coaching profession. ...


Seattle Post Intelligencer

Leach nabs Big 12 coaching honors
RedRaiders.com, TX - 4 hours ago
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach on Tuesday was named Big 12 Conference coach of the year by The Associated Press, adding another accolade to the Red Raiders’ ...
College Football Musings - Week 14 DawgsBite.com
College Football: The BCS Does It Again CollegeHoopsnet.com
HList takes a look back at college football weekend Gazette Online
Dallas Morning News - Abilene Reporter-News
all 2,204 news articles


GamecockAnthem.com

USC Coaching Search Updates 12-02-08
GamecockAnthem.com - 6 hours ago
Will they hire a new QB or WR coach? Read inside for the latest on the chances and evaluations of emerging candidates for those positions. ...


Big East/Notre Dame coaching carousel
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com, NJ - 11 hours ago
by Star-Ledger Staff Greg Schiano may have done his best coaching job at Rutgers this season - but unlike the previous two - doesn't figure to be in any ...


National Post

POLLOCK: It’s times Bills’ coaching staff got scrutinized
Olean Times Herald, New york - 2 hours ago
Fans began to assess that the team was too much a reflection of its seemingly emotionless coach. And while it was easy to argue that Dick Jauron was exactly ...
Buffalo hits new low with pathetic loss to 49ers Wellsville Daily Reporter
Buffalo Bills Miss Opportunity In Awful Loss To Niners Bleacher Report
Honeymoon for Jauron and Schonert Expires WGRZ-TV
Tri-Valley Herald - Grand Island Record
all 624 news articles


Seattle Times

Coaching search continues
The Daily of the University of Washington, WA - 18 hours ago
Fresno State coach Pat Hill told Fresno area reporters before his team’s annual awards banquet Sunday that he has been interviewed for the vacant head ...
Fresno State coach Hill interviews for Washington Huskies job Visalia Times-Delta
all 34 news articles

Coaching - Google News

home | site map
© 2006