3 Ways To Know You’re Living In Alignment With Your Authentic Self
I saw the picture my brother uses as my contact image, and something clicked. I’ve talked to my wife about the picture she has of me as my contact photo as well. I’ve told her how much I hate the picture, how embarrassing it is, and how she needs to change it. What occurred to me today was the fact that these contact pictures weren’t just coincidentally bad. That’s who I was. That version of myself is almost unrecognizable to me now. It’s not just the fact that in most of these pictures I was overweight and out of shape. In those photos I recognize that I didn’t like the person I was. I was uncomfortable with myself, I was self-conscious and I was habitually living out of alignment with myself. The aim of this article is to show that there are 3 telltale signs that you’re either living in alignment with your most authentic self, or you aren’t.
When I started living in alignment, I recognized that my judgements and comparisons disappeared. Comparisons are a great way to figure out where you stand in the world. However, comparing yourself to anyone else is a pointless exercise. Once you live in alignment with yourself, you recognize that there’s absolutely no need to compare yourself to anyone else. What’s the point? When you live in alignment, you recognize that we’re all one. We’re all a part of a collective vibration, so to judge anyone else based on whatever superficial metric you want to place value on, is just silly. We can all agree that judging others solely based on their material wealth or lack thereof is pointless, yet, we often excuse ourselves when we place those judgements on ourselves. You’ll no longer judge others, but the greatest benefit comes when you no longer judge yourself. You will know you’re living in alignment when you don’t need metrics or any other measurable status symbol to prove that you’re living life the right way. You just know, deep down in your soul.
The second thing you know when you live a life in alignment is your ability to speak your own truth. You’ve had your existential crisis and you’ve worked through it. You’ve found the reasons you self-sabotaged before, you recognized what was out of alignment and you took the action in order to set your life on its proper course. Therefore, you instantaneously understand that the truth is the only appropriate response in all situations. In my old life I would constantly say “yes” to anything heaped onto my plate. In my professional life this was the most evident. I would constantly let my bosses and superiors pile on and I would work relentlessly to get things done. I would be overloaded, overwhelmed and underappreciated. This relationship dynamic is so toxic and I would always end up feeling bitter and full of resentment. The reality was simple, I wouldn’t stand up for myself. Being in alignment somehow puts you in this place where you feel totally fine with turning things down, or saying no.
Third, when you live in alignment you’re going to notice physical changes. You can’t live in alignment with your truest self and not prioritize your health. These two things go hand in hand. Of all the things that matter in your life, if you lose your health, you’ll quickly realize that nothing else really mattered. This is the starting point. This is normally the part of people’s life that the first start to realize is out of alignment. I wish there wasn’t a decade of pictures taken of me that captured the fact that I was built like a half-melted stick of butter, but, what can I do? People often look to find the hack, they try to find the quick and easy way to lose weight and get healthier. So, let me help you out; Eat better food. Move your body. That’s it. You know how to do it. There isn’t a healthy alternative that’ll help you drop 20 pounds in 3 weeks. Just create and adopt healthy habits that compound over time. It’ll take a little patience, but I promise you this, in 4-6 months, you’ll look back and be blown away as to how easy it was. When you transition the thoughts of “I know I should be working out more,” to actually working out and taking small steps to get your health in order, a lot changes. It sets in motion a cascade of positive reinforcement that makes everything else in your life feel easier. Even if the action is as simple as taking a walk with your kids or your dog after work. One small lap around the neighborhood is all it takes to set your life on a new trajectory. Slowly but surely over time, your body will change.
You see, living in alignment is just the moment when you stop, check in, change direction, and stop making excuses for yourself. You stop looking for instant gratification. You intentionally choose the things you’re doing, the things you stand up for, the non-negotiables you’ve set up as part of what makes you feel like the best version of you. Living in alignment, just like any other habits, are formed through repetition. The same repetition that you use to wake up, get ready, and go to work every day should be applied to your own form of self-care. You may not get this right on the first try, I know I haven’t, and I’m still on my own journey. But you’ll recognize that being on the journey is all that matters. The journey of self-growth is a process to find the right groove when your mind, body and soul are all in alignment. Here’s to another day along that journey my friends. Cheers.
