The moment I knew I really was on the right course towards creating a more authentic life was a Sunday evening last year at a small and intimate Frankie Knuckles gig. (Sadly it turned out to be his very last performance in London.) It wasn't the fact that the iconic father of house music was spinning the decks a few feet away from me or that as far as I'm concerned dance music doesn't get any better than his infectious dirty-disco mixes, what I noticed was an absence and that was an absence of fear.
I'd never actually thought about being fearful before that moment. It's not as if I'd been living in a high state of terror, in fact what I noticed was an absence of low-level background fear.
Before setting up my coaching practice I had a successful career in broadcast television. Despite being in a 'safe' corporate job I felt increasingly unfulfilled inside; I wasn't being authentic in my role and I wasn't being true to myself. My fear wasn't around whether the job would end (I knew it would) but rather: when and how would it end, what would come next, what could I do that would be more fulfilling, and how would I support myself without my corporate income? It was a dull, deep-seated fear that never went away; it was a fear based on the 'not-knowing', it was the fear of change. In that moment at the Frankie Knuckles gig I realised that a low-level fear I'd been subconsciously living with for a number of years had disappeared.
It's easier to describe the presence of something than the absence of something but the feeling I had really was an absence; I noticed fear wasn't there. I listened for it, I tried to feel it, I waited for a fleeting thought to come and it simply didn't appear. It was the first time in years I was able to enjoy the moment without those nagging doubts in my head.
I realised that I'd travelled a long way on the journey I had embarked upon over a year before when I left a job that was no longer working for me. What I had found in coaching and founding The Authentic Life Company was a vocation, a passion and a purpose in life. Although I still have many challenges to overcome and of course some fear around being self-employed, that background hum, that background 'what next?' fear has gone.
I'll be sharing more about my journey as well as insights into being real at work and in life on this blog. In the meantime, wherever you are in your life or business here are six ways you can begin to create an authentic life you love (without fear!)
- Notice when you are and are not being authentic
- Think about letting go of what isn't serving you any more
- Instead of depleting energy in a situation that no longer serves you, think about creating a balanced life that you love
- Seek advice from friends, family, trusted colleagues or a qualified professional
- Align what you do with who you are
- Listen to your inner voice, if it's telling you to change listen carefully
Which of these steps resonates with you the most? I'd love to hear from you, comment below and let's chat!