Last year I picked one word to focus on for the year. My word was “romantic” and focusing on it allowed romance to enter my life in a more conscious and continuous way.
This year another word has emerged. It fits my on-going task of going deeper; going deeper into my life, into life around me, into the life of women, into the lives of those struggling with poverty and into our education, economic, religious and political systems. The word is authentic.
Dictionary.com defines “authentic” as “one who acts independently.” The word “authentic” comes from the Latin word “authenticus” meaning “coming from the author.” This, in turn, is from the Greek word “authentikos,” from “auto” plus “hent” – a doer.
To be authentic includes acting, writing and speaking from an original or unique point of view. Going deeper into life allows us to do this because we allow life to more fully develop who we are – our personhood.
We are not meant to be passive. We are not called to be doers on automatic pilot. We are called to be autonomous doers; acting and thinking independently, authentically and for ourselves, not blindly following others.
We are not victims of the powers that be or the systems in the world around us — unless we choose to be. To choose this is to choose a distortion of what it means to live a truly human life. To be “nice and quiet” neighbors, citizens, or individuals is to live life on the default setting. On the other hand we can choose to be autonomous, to observe and create new, different and better choices.
Each of us is given just one life. We can author this life in any way we choose. But it is our life to author – to live and to create.
I’ll return to the word “authentic” as the year unfolds. It will be interesting to observe what authenticity brings to the year ahead.
A happy and healthy New Year to all of you – my InnerPacific readers!
Roxanne
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