El arte de ser felíz

Creating an authentic life

By Polly Campbell 

Bueno, le enmiendo  la plana a señora Campbell: pienso que a la vida hay que echarle coraje. Y que es la verdadera base de la autenticidad. Con miedo no vamos a ninguna parte.Tampoco la búsqueda de la iluminación, sea lo que sea lo que se entienda por tal estado de crecimiento personal, obvia el destino de los humanos: somos mortales. Polvo y cenizas. Mejor que sea polvo enamorado. Yo les recomendaría, antes que las obras de Cambell,  "El arte de ser felíz" de Arthur Schopenhauer. No obstante aquí van cinco consejos de Cambell y uno mío, mucha gracia bajo presión, que decía Hemingway.

Campbell is the author of Imperfect Spirituality: Extraordinary Enlightenment for Ordinary People and How to Reach Enlightenment. She is also a blogger at imperfectspirituality.com, The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.

"Here are five ways to get started:

1. Redefine your values. It’s hard to behave in an authentic way if you do not know what you value and desire. Often, we hold tight to the same values we grew up with, when we need to reevaluate what feels right to us now and align our actions around those things. Get clear on what you care about and authenticity will take hold.

2. Foster an open mind. Authenticity flourishes when we experience the world wholly, from every perspective. Rigid, good/bad thinking keeps us trapped in judgment and limitation, which causes us to shut down our vulnerable, authentic self. Challenge yourself to look at all sides of the situation. Be open.

3. Fill in the blank: If you really knew me you’d know this: ___________.This is a prompt Robbins gives to seminar participants. Not only does it prompt introspection and allow people to reveal essential aspects of themselves, it also builds trust, credibility and confidence with the person you are sharing it with. Authenticity does sometimes feel scary and vulnerable, but it also builds intimacy.

4. Notice when you are being inauthentic. Robbins suggests that you pay attention to those times when you are insincere in your speech, or when you are acting in a way that doesn’t align with your core values. Then explore the fears and beliefs that may create those barriers to your authenticity.

5. Trust your intuition. Often, we feel out of sync when we are acting inauthentic. Things just don’t feel right. Pay attention to those hunches, physical sensations and impressions. They can be your instincts telling you that you are not being genuine. When you are on track and authentic, you’ll feel that too.

I felt at ease and in flow when I left public relations behind a year later to write full-time. Finally, I was truly myself. Authentic. And, while the writing business has blossomed, I’m still learning how to live authentically even 20 years later. That journey is ever-shifting as I learn more about myself.

“Who we are evolves and changes,” Robbins says. “This is a dynamic process and one we can keep moving into at deeper levels. Feel that, pay attention to that. This is less about a destination than a journey of going deeper to keep discovering and unfolding new pieces of ourselves as we go.”

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