Prioritise your authenticity

Do you experience this? 

It seems other people's perceptions of you don’t reflect the deeper nature of your natural health craft and business. 

You might even feel swayed by their energy, fed by a subtle underlying anxiety about being open with people who don’t quite get it. 

If you relate, you could feel like you’re living a double-life. Where showing up authentically as your full self doesn’t somehow have a place (even though you deeply crave authenticity). 

Then there’s the mistake of the double-bind. Where you keep the deeper essence of your work tucked away because it's not ready to be revealed, and they just…. don't get it. 

This then can get compounded by gauging your progress from other people's perceptions of what they think you’re doing. 

Uggggh… this loop-de-loop is not fun.

It might feel easiest to keep showing up with your friends on their terms, while keeping your head down working hard to eventually get to a point of readiness.  

But, dear one, this is a trap.

putting it into action

Want a way forward that doesn’t involve going along with what others think while your deeper self hangs out in a hidey hole until the timing is right?  

One key option is to clarify what helps you show up fully and authentically with the people in your life.  

Safely, consideration, curiosity, support, encouragement, kindness, non-judgement are examples.  

Take some time to contemplate and create a short-list of what is truly important in helping you show up in your authenticity. 

Then ask yourself ‘What helps these qualities feel satisfied?’. How can you support yourself in these ways?  What simple requests could you put to your people to help them help you?  

When authenticity is prioritised, it asks you to be present with what’s genuinely going on for you.  Doing this supports your integrity for showing as your full self, and gives some more space to play with the possibilities. 

help yourself show-up

Here’s the story of Georgie who experienced something like this.  

Georgie loves her work as a herbalist. She also loves to play and socialise, and gives a lot of care to her friends.  

But the great visions for her herb business  require way  more consistent focussed time without interruption.  

So she came to realise that she needs clear structure and accountability.  

Georgie is experimenting with having a timetable for her week with scheduled time for work and play.  This helps her know when to say yes to her friends' invitations...and importantly, when to say no.

She has a close friend who knows this is her plan, who checks-in every Friday afternoon to see how the balance is travelling.

Georgie also challenged herself to write a blog post about why herbalism is so powerful for the wellbeing of people and planet.  She then asked her wider group of friends to have a read and let her know what they think.  It felt edgy and vulnerable… and super liberating.

You know your craft is powerful people and planet.  Helping yourself show-up authentically, in balance and connection, ripples this passion further out to more of the right people.  There’s always a way: step by step, piece by piece. 

Journey well!
x Erin