Authenticity Often Means Choosing Honesty Over Comfort (Tuesday Tip #36)
Authenticity sounds simple, but living it can feel complicated.
Being true to yourself is not always the easy path. It can mean saying the thing you have avoided, admitting what is real, or showing a part of yourself you have hidden.
And that is rarely comfortable.
The Discomfort of Being Seen
When you choose honesty, you open yourself to risk. You risk misunderstanding. You risk judgment. You risk change.
That is why many people find themselves performing a version of authenticity instead. They choose what feels acceptable in that moment, rather than what is real. But that version of “authenticity” often creates its own friction. You sense the gap between who you are and how you show up.
That gap takes energy to maintain.
Honesty Creates Alignment
True authenticity is less about what others see and more about how closely your choices reflect your values.
- If you value Courage, honesty might sound like speaking up when it is easier to stay silent.
- If you value Relationships, it might mean sharing more of what you truly feel.
- If you value Service to Others, it might look like admitting you do not have all the answers.
When your actions reflect your values, the gap between who you are and how you live begins to close. That alignment builds something deeper than comfort. It builds self-trust.
Choosing What Is True
Authenticity asks you to choose honesty even when it feels messy. It invites you to stop performing and start showing up as yourself.
The truth might not always be easy, but it is lighter than carrying the weight of pretending.
Something to Reflect On
Where in your life are you choosing comfort over honesty, and what might change if you chose what is true instead?
Every Tuesday, we offer Tuesday Tips on the Values Identifier Facebook page and here in blog form. These tips offer thoughts and ideas to help you live a life more aligned with your values.
