Permission – What is it to be Authentic?
One day I was pondering the logical reasoning behind why I chose to do certain things like write my blog, or what drives me to be decisive in the workplace. I considered if skilful actions must always be preceded by rational thinking to determine the best course of action.
Here are my musings on this topic inspired by Taoist philosophy…
Why did I want to do something?
Simply because I can.
No other reason is needed.
In fact, no reason is needed at all.
Immediate action with authentic flow encompasses the reason in to the act in a single act of wholeness.
Reason followed by action is unauthentic. Authentic action contains the reason – there is no separation.
I wrote these notes while on the train to work. Over twelve months later I have revisited them to create this post. As always when we revisit something, we bring with us the lens of the present moment and a fresh perspective; this led me to consider some other angles on this…
Never Thinking?
How does the programming of the unconscious mind influence “authentic spontaneous” action?
Is it that we are just giving way to our unconscious programming?
Or is it that we are tapping in to an innate sense of how the universe is energetically unfolding and acting in alignment – this is a process which is beyond words so does not require the language of the conscious mind to manifest.
How can we tell the difference?
Is it all about looking at things in retrospect?
What is the actual difference though, and how can we avoid rationalising events to attribute them to the unconscious mind?
Is this about detecting the “leap of faith” in our logic – the bigger the more likely the action is authentic… could the leap of faith be required to bridge a gap in our own introspective knowledge?
Does it even matter?
Well, if awakening is to know what reality is not, we know that it is not action based solely on rational thinking that is underpinned by the use of language.
So maybe, the sign is that the behaviour simply just feels right; we know this to our core, but we also know we are not able to put the explanation in to words and do it justice.
More Than Just Thought
To be truly authentic requires us to tap in to our whole manifestation and flow with a sensory connection to the present moment that transcends the use of words.
We have no words for this kind of action because words atomise what is in fact a continuous flow.
So rather than use rational thinking to reflect upon why we chose to do something, instead use a mirror. Stand face to face with yourself and look yourself in the eye. Pose the question and feel the response… do you feel contented? Can you see the twinkle in the eye of the person looking back at you? Do you trust, love and respect that person?
If you have answered yes to all of these questions then you may well have just discovered your authentic self.
Enjoy, for now.