Self-awareness without courage means that you know who you are but the rest of the world doesn’t. […] The most important challenge might be in finding the willingness to give up who you think you are in order to find out who you might become. This is the path to authenticity. -Chip Conley
Authenticity is the essence of well-being. In his brilliant book, Emotional Equations, Chip Conley dissects human emotions into logical mathematical equations. We are all on a quest to define who we are, and Conley suggests that the key to such discovery lies in his equation for authenticity, which is: [Authenticity = Self-Awareness x Courage]. I personally have never loved mathematics, but I love this version of it, and believe that Conley is right on.
The more we each know who we are (that is, our authentic self), the more we will know where we are going and where our true calling is directing us. Having the courage to be yourself under all circumstances is one of the greatest challenges that mankind faces, so be brave, dig deep, and be true.
Make authenticity your primary goal, and you will find that your message will resonate.