Authentic Self

[BeHea1thy]

Dr. Shelley Uram writes a blog entry for The Meadows, a facility in Arizona devoted to healing various conditions. Her May entry focuses on authenticity.

Here's an excerpt:
AUTHENTIC SELF

What is it? Where does it come from? Why don't most of us know about it?

Most of us are well acquainted with aspects of our personality, like being a nice person, an addict, a good employee, the therapist, the hero, the traumatized person, etc. The Authentic Self, however, transcends our personality, thoughts, and emotions.

From Shakespeare's Hamlet:
Polonius says to his son, Laertes, who is about to embark on a long journey: "This above all: To thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."

I just love this quote! Shakespeare so wisely understood the importance of tuning in to, and following one's own inner voice, or Authentic Self. Polonius instructed his son to prioritize this "above all" else.

I wholeheartedly agree!

Did Shakespeare mean we should be selfish? No; I think he meant we should be Selfish. What's the difference? The meaning I am giving to the word, with a capital "S", signifies the Self that is the Authentic Self, or the Essence, or Soul, Spirit, etc. It is the underlying core of each of us. It is to this unseen essence, or Self to which we should be "true."

The Authentic Self, or Self for short, has the qualities of infinite wisdom, kindness, love, oneness, timelessness, "is-ness", and acceptance. It is the UNSEEN Self we are born with and will ultimately die with; unchanged through our life's journey.

Our ability to be attuned and aligned with our Self is of paramount importance! In my opinion, this is probably the most important task of our lives. It is the Self that can lead us to the best paths and choices we can make during our lifetime. When our personality is aligned with the wisdom and knowingness of the Self, it becomes a most valuable compass.

The remainder of the article is here.

http://www.themeadows.com/blog/item/633-to-thine-own-self-be-true

[Bluevermonter]

Hi BeHealthy.  Yes, the bard of Avon knew a lot about people.  I have been lucky to have been nothing else but myself, as far as I can tell.  Or as imperfectly close as one can get.  I honestly can't say how I got like that.  Except that the first 10 years of my life were pretty pleasant as part of a loving family.

My cptsd ex, I guess, had no idea what authentic self was for her., although she used that phrase frequently.  Her reasons for leaving were all over the map.  Frankly, her leaving may have been because either she was trying to figure out who she really was, or bc she didn't like who she was, with all her self-imposed guilt/ shame /inadequacy.  Shedding 20 years of her life like a snake sheds its skin.

Another thread on this forum talked about changing one's name.  I was married briefly and just could not wear that new last name.  I was me, first name last name, and not someone else.  My cptsd ex, however, had three different surnames and uses her middle name as her first, plus she used to invent names for her guardian angels or for her airy self.  ( I now suspect that her airy, body-less self was a consequence of her dissociation, or her longing to be separate from earth.)

But I'm grateful for OOTS for helping me understand those w CPTSD or just people in general.  I hate that she walked out on us, but I am wiser and, I like to think, kinder bc I know how it feels to be abused.

[Sandstone]

I know this is a very old thread but iv just come across it. Just wanted to say i really connected with this link, its pushed slightly open what was a very closed door so to speak. Thank you Behea1thy