Andrea Thiel Connell

In a writing course I learned the need for a good strong headline. What do you offer? What do you promise? Do you know? Do you fulfill those promises to your readership? Yes this is vital to good copy writing but it occurred to me that this is a statement that is vitally relevant to the whole of our lives with regards to being authentic.

We make promises every day . We might not use those exact words in our daily negotiations but they are implied none-the-less. Are you good to your word? Do you do what you say? The bigger questions is; are you living authentically? Do you say what you mean and mean what you say? Or do you spend your energy hedging, vaguely implying, reneging, and back paddling?

Are you who you say you are? Are you who you want to be? Can you get there from here? If we’re not on the right road we can’t get where we’re going. Which means if you aren’t living intentionally in your best interests you will not end up with a life that looks after your best interests. If you are living ambiguously, being acquiescent to the best interests of others especially when in conflict to your own, you reduce your own chances of ever getting where you want to go in life.

Some people, in order to avoid disappointing others, simply resist voicing any kind of commitment at all. Never voicing an opinion, never speaking against the popular grain, never allowing one contrary thought to escape their lips they struggle to stay agreeable at all costs, even if their own inner voice is screaming loudly in protest. It’s sad really, we’re not supposed to agree all the time. We are each uniquely creative beings, with our own input, own interpretation, and own way to manifest. It’s our inborn responsibility to be ourselves and to stand up for ourselves; not to bully, but not to flounder weakly either. Just to be, honest to goodness, ourselves.

In Reiki we have a precept that says, just for today earn your living honestly. This precept speaks to this idea of personal authenticity. Are you who you say you are and in your relationships with others, personal or business, do you fulfill your end of the bargain with your highest integrity. Come to understand what your various roles in relationships are and what the promises you make, spoken or unspoken, are. Are you being true to yourself or have you forsaken yourself for others?

I’ve learned a lot this past year – I had a good teachers; my 20-year-old daughter, my 19-year-old son, and my newly 19-year-old daughter. Each of my kids have taught me a great deal about life and living life with authenticity. They think I’ve been parenting them and I have tried my best to be a good parent and strong role model but the secret is I’ve taken my cues from them. They’ve taught me patience, tolerance, acceptance, but most of all they have taught me the value of self-expression and independent ‘being-ness’.

My eldest stands up for herself with impeccability always and is never bullied into blind acceptance in any situation.  Along the way she demands that others be accountable for themselves. This has left her alone at times – but never lonely. She knows who she is and likes it. Her path lays out before her clearly with right timing and right placement.

My middle one deliberately forges a path for himself on a daily basis, without judging the ways of others he leads by example, earning respect and admiration from his coworkers and friends in new ways every day. He is never alone – but never lost in the crowd either. He lives a life of moments that are richly filled with opportunity.

My youngest sings loudly, always! She sings joyously whether she is intimidated, overcome by butterflies or terrified. She knows her happiness and purpose depends on being able to be what she is best. She allows herself to naturally gravitate to her best situation in all times. She goes where she is loved and can love freely without fear of losing herself.

They each, with great determination, stand up with integrity for who they are. They know who they want to be when they grow up and are living that reality today with each moment. Are you?

So just for the record…this blog, “New Days ~ New Ways” is precisely about that. I believe that we are entering an era of history of vast personal expansion for the good of the One. The promise with this blog is to provide new ways of thinking, coping, growing, expanding and being that leave us empowered to participate fully in these new days we find ourselves living in. And YES we can get there from here!!