Many of us have heard that we need to be authentic and have an authentic voice in order to tell people what they need to know. The clients I work with, in particular the entrepreneurs I work with, struggle to become their real self – their authentic self. It is hard for them to become more of who they truly are because of fear.
There is a belief that by showing people your true self they may not like you. We fear not being liked. But when we fear being authentic, we fear expressing ourselves as the experts that we are – jeopardizing our success, and in business, long-term success is dependent on using our authentic voice.
This fear stops us from networking or talking to clients because we fear we are not knowledgeable enough in our area of expertise. We need to build that confidence and show people what we have to offer. To do this we need to overcome the crippling belief that we are not good enough.
How to overcome the fear
First, imagine your authentic self. How would you feel if you were free to be authentic? Visualize how you would look and then write these words down i.e., confident, smiling, etc.
Then, write down some of the fears or blocks that arise when you are asked to attend a networking event or speak about yourself.
By doing these exercises you will start to see the benefits of being your authentic self. Repeat this exercise whenever you find yourself backing away from being your authentic self.
The ability to realize and overcome our fears and be our authentic selves is important in business and in our personal relationships. If you can focus on what is stopping you from being authentic you will be able to work past the blocks and be your true self.
Are you struggling to pin down the fears that are blocking you from being authentic? Let’s schedule a free 15-minute consultation and get you started on finding your true self. I also encourage you to sign up for my email series. It’s designed to help you see how beliefs affect our every day relationships.
