Page 42 - The Truth Landscape Format 2020 with next section introductions-compressed

3 – The Real You

We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with
authenticity.
Barbara De Angelis - American Expert on Relationship & Love, Author

In order to understand what is meant by the authentic you, or your real self, think back to the times
in your life when you have been at your best. We’re talking here, about the times when you were
happiest, when you felt most fulfilled, and more especially the most real. In the heart of those
moments, your life flowed with an energy and excitement and yet you may have felt a gentle
calmness within. You had unshakeable confidence and belief in your own self-worth with
formidable strength and trust in yourself. You were having fun and there was no room for self
doubt or anxiety. You had indestructible optimism, doing exactly what you felt you were meant to
do with the people you chose. Your life was interesting and filled with colour and passion, and
significantly, you accepted and liked yourself for who you were. Because you felt so good about
yourself, so determined to live life to the full, you couldn’t care less what others thought about
you. From confidence rather than selfishness, you mattered more than anything. You may not have
known what the future held, but you were confident you could handle it.

Remember the descriptions of happiness in the last section, let’s remind ourselves:-

“Happiness is being yourself, the real authentic you. Not the limited self you
pretend to be most of the time, but the real you under the layers of pretence,
behind the masks you are forced to wear to protect yourself and others from
hurt, pain and criticism. The freedom to do or not to do anything and
everything – this is our natural state of happiness before we covered it with masks
and limitations.”

What happened to the wonderful, authentic you? Life happened, that’s what!

“Everyone says I must have the perfect life. They all think my husband is so caring and loving.
They don’t know the half of it. I disguise my unhappiness to the outside world, I don’t like to do The real you - behind the mask
my dirty washing in public. It just looks perfect, but sometimes I feel I’m dying inside”. Page42