Being Authentic

Being true to our personality, character and spirit. It’s a lofty ideal, but not so easily attained.


Recently I was told a story about a couple who had attained the American Dream. They had worked hard and were very successful; big house, expensive cars, nice vacations, lots of money, multimillionaires. They’re getting a divorce. Why? They found that they weren’t happy living the American Dream.

A former colleague told me another story about a big time executive that had been laid off. Instead of looking for another position in Corporate America, he had started a business in physical training. She said he was making a lot less money, but was far happier.

These two stories are by no means unique. The recession has many people reassessing their lives and their priorities. That includes trading in their old careers for new ones; ones without the fancy title, big money or prestige. People are learning how to make what they have go further and that they can do with far less than they used to think they could and they are happier for it.

How about you? If you’ve lost your job and are looking for another, do you want to go back to the same type of work? Did it make you happy? Forget whether the boss was happy. Were you happy? If you are one of the lucky ones who kept your job, are you happy? Are you doing more but hating to get out of bed in the morning knowing what you will face at the office? The stress. The lack of appreciation. Are you constantly aware that you could be terminated on a whim?

Maybe now is the time to take a look at your career. If it isn’t giving you a sense of purpose and a sense of accomplishment are you being authentic? Maybe you should be looking for a new career. More on that later.