#TheAuthenticLife: Stepping Into Authenticity: The Journey Begins

In this episode of The Authentic Life, we’re setting the stage by getting clear on what living authentically is not. So often, we hear the word “authentic” thrown around, but let’s be honest—many of us have misconceptions about what it really means.

Join Keisha as she breaks down the myths of authenticity, including the trap of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and living for approval. She shares a personal story of how striving to be “perfect” for everyone in her life left her drained and disconnected from her true self.

We’ll also dive into some thought-provoking questions to reflect on how often we hide parts of ourselves to fit in—and what it could feel like to finally let all of that go. This episode is all about laying a foundation, so we’re starting with the hard truth: sometimes, understanding what something is not is the first step to understanding what it is.

Grab your coffee and get ready to unpack the first step toward living The Authentic Life.

Chapters

• 0:04 Living Authentically
• 15:10 Embracing Authenticity for Professional Growth
• 28:18 Embracing Your Authentic Self

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Hey, hey, hey, it's your girl, keisha, and this is the Authentic Life. This isn't your typical podcast. It's your go-to space for real talk, bold moves and unapologetic living. Together. We'll laugh, we'll reflect and we will uncover what it really means to embrace your truth. So grab your favorite drink, get comfy and let's dive into all the magic that is waiting for you.

Speaker 1: 0:27

On the Authentic Life Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to the Authentic Life, the space where we explore what it really means to live fully, to live freely and, most importantly, to live unapologetically as our truest self. If you're new here, I'm Keisha, I'm your host, I'm your guide and maybe by the end of this, I might just be your accountability partner on this journey. So, whether you're tuning in from your car, your office or your favorite cozy corner at home, I'm just so glad that you decided to join your girl. And today we're making it extra special because, yes, we made it to our official launch day, december 31st. Let's take a moment to celebrate that thing, because it took so much to get here. I do not know if you realize how much time patience it takes to create a podcast. It is absolutely not for the week, but I am so proud of myself for getting to this place and getting to this point, not just for starting the podcast, but actually putting the goal of starting the podcast into action. And we are here, it is actually happening, and what a better time to begin this journey than right now, at the start of a new year. The Authentic Life is your invitation to step into 2025 with clarity, with confidence and the courage to live as your truest self.

Speaker 1: 1:58

Remember, this isn't just another self-help podcast. For me, the Authentic Life is about getting real. Another self-help podcast for me, the authentic life is about getting real. It's about pulling back those layers facing the parts of ourselves that we hide from ourselves and others, and learning how to embrace all of it the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful and, yes, the powerful.

Speaker 1: 2:19

You know, when I started my journey to living authentically, I didn't even realize how much of myself I was putting behind. And, believe me, my journey is not a final destination. It's just that a journey, and I am still on it. I thought I was doing everything right, I was showing up, I was being reliable, I was checking all the boxes but, deep down, to keep it a buck, I really felt stuck. I felt like I was putting on. I felt like I was performing, like I was playing a role, instead of living my truth and not living the truth of those around me.

Speaker 1: 2:53

So today, as we kick things off, we're diving into three transformative topics. We're talking about what it really means to live authentically, by reaching into what authenticity is not. How to begin your journey of self-discovery, really doing that self-reflection work, being self-aware, knowing who we are and how we show up in our spaces and being okay with that. And then, lastly, most importantly, how to embrace ourselves fully and unapologetically. So, whether you drink coffee, you drink tea or you drink wine, grab you some and maybe even a journal, and let's dive into this thing, because today it isn't just the launch of the authentic life, it's the launch of something that might just change your life. Let's step into this new year together, ready to live authentically and unapologetically. Live authentically and unapologetically. Okay, let's start this thing right.

Speaker 1: 3:52

So, for those that are new and for tuning in for the first time, I think it's important for me to tell you a little bit about me, if you missed the pre-release episode. So I'm a leader in higher education. I'm a coach and a speaker that's passionate about inspiring change, fostering inclusion and empowering people to live authentically. Right, I speak on a variety of topics, from leadership to emotional intelligence, to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, but no matter what I'm speaking on, I always think it's important to lay a solid foundation to make sure that we're all starting on the same page. That means that we're coming from the same lens, we're understanding the context and, most importantly, we're getting clear on what something is not before we're actually diving into what something is, and so that's kind of where we're going to start this podcast today. So let's be honest about something there are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to live authentically, so let me start by clearing that up for you.

Speaker 1: 4:51

Living authentically is not about being perfect, and I know we hear that phrase thrown around a lot. You got people talking about authenticity, hashtags, all the things but let me say it louder for the people in the back that might have missed it it's not about being perfect, it's not about having all the things, but let me say it louder for the people in the back that might've missed it it's not about being perfect, it's not about having all the answers, it's not about being the smartest person in the room and, most importantly, it is not about meeting everyone's expectations of you, and it's also not about shaping your life to fit into someone else's idea of success. Now, for me, for a long time I thought being authentic meant showing up as the perfect version of myself for everybody around me. I felt like I had to be a really good daughter. I felt like I had to be a really good mom because I got pregnant in college and had my son at 20. So I felt like, hey, kisha can't be a stereotype. So I got to be a really good mom. I got to do all the things. I had to be a reliable friend.

Speaker 1: 5:50

In my romantic relationships, I had to be the good girlfriend and the one that didn't like ruffle feathers and, at work, you know, the dependable colleague, the one that's always there, the one that's always willing to volunteer, the one that's always willing to do the things. Basically, I felt like I had to be the person who always had it together. And while all of the roles in my life are extremely meaningful, I realized that in my attempt to be perfect for others, I was kind of losing myself in the process. So here's a quick little story for me to try to explain what I mean so many years ago I was leading a major project at work and if you know me in a professional setting, your girl is in all the things I do the absolute most Like. If you were in your dictionary and you saw absolute most, you're going to see a picture of Keisha Jones right there beside the absolute most. Because I do the absolute most. I am in everything. I got 15 jobs. I'm always volunteering for stuff, always doing the absolute most. But that's also a space that I thrive in. That's probably something I need to talk to my therapist about, but nonetheless it's a space that I thrive in.

Speaker 1: 7:01

But back to the story. So on the surface, everything looked great. So if you saw me doing this project, you know I was hitting all my marks, I was meeting the deadlines, I was checking the boxes, I was doing the thing. You know. I was keeping everybody happy, everybody getting what they want. I probably was still adding stuff to my plate, but deep down I was drained, I was tired, I was exhausted and at some points I was saying yes to things that didn't really align with my values or my goals.

Speaker 1: 7:33

But I think a little bit of that had to do with I was trying to prove that I deserved to be where I was at. You know, when I started early in my career, I was young, and not only young, but I'm a black female and being a black female in professional spaces can be hard sometimes, right and so, going back to that definition of success, right and, and fitting into someone else's definition of success, I always felt like I had to do extra, I had to say yes to more, um, because in many instances I'm trying to prove to you that you made the right decision by hiring me, even though I knew I could probably run circles around you and the five other people that you had doing the same job, but nonetheless I felt like I had to do extra, that I had to go above and beyond, and maybe beyond the above and beyond, to validate that you may or not validate for me, but validate for you that you made the right decision in hiring me and allow me to take on this project, or allow me to do the thing right, because a lot of times and it could have been subconsciously, but a lot of times I wasn't seeking validation for self. It was really me trying to reassure you that you made the right decision. Now, you may have never said anything to make me feel like you felt that you made the wrong decision, but it's that fitting into someone else's standards and fitting into someone else's definition of what success looks like for us Right, and that's not what living authentically is.

Speaker 1: 9:05

And fitting into someone else's definition of what success looks like for us right, and that's not what living authentically is. That's what living for approval looks like, and that's exhausting, like in my coaching sessions that I do with folks, you know, one of the things that we talk about very early on is, as you move through this thing called life, may it be personally or professionally, how do you define success for yourself? What is your own personal standard for success? Because a lot of times we're shrinking ourselves and we're trying to fit into somebody else's definition. May it be the communities that we operate in and our professional settings, what society says we should be able to do or not do all of the things right, and we're trying to combat all of that.

Speaker 1: 9:52

But it's important for us to really sit down and say, hey, this is what's important to me, this is what success looks like for me, this is the goals and the standards that I am trying to achieve, based off of the definition of success or the standard of success that I have identified for myself, right, not for someone else. And I think that's where that self-discovery that we're going to talk about in a little bit comes from. That's where that self-reflection comes from, like now I'm able to sit here and I'm able to talk about my journey and things that I thought, and sometimes it's not to say that I don't revert back to that thinking because I think, once a perfectionist, it's hard to kind of move out of that space, but it's work. But nonetheless, sharing that journey gets you to a place of the self-reflection, because the more that we can acknowledge, the more we can change, right? So let me ask you this have you ever felt like you had to hide parts of yourself to fit in? Now, this could be at work, it could be in a friendship, it could be in a romantic relationship, it could even be within your own family.

Speaker 1: 11:05

Think about that Now. I want you to think about how does that make you feel, thinking that people aren't getting all of you. They're getting the pieces of you that you think they will accept. How does that feel? That's heavy, right, that's a lot. That's a lot of mental capacity and bandwidth that you have to hold on to and maintain to exist in somebody else's space. It's emotional exhaustion in some cases. Now I want you to imagine what it will feel like just to let all of that go and to show up fully as you not the polished you, not the performative version, but the actual, real you.

Speaker 1: 11:54

Now letting go and showing up fully as you is very easy for me to sit on this microphone and say out loud, and to actually implement and put it into action takes time. So you're going to have to give yourself grace, as I'm on this journey with you when I think about the authentic life. The authentic life is a journey, not a final destination. You're going to hear me say that a couple of times throughout the podcast, but that's kicking us off. That's getting us to the place of really thinking about what it means to live the authentic life and what the authentic life is not. Now we're going to jump into that journey of self-discovery and self-awareness. And what does that look like for us? Ok, so now we know what living authentically is not. Now it's time for us to talk about how do we begin this journey. So living authentically starts with self-awareness. You've probably heard the saying you can't change what you don't acknowledge, right? You heard me say that a few minutes ago. Well, that's where the journey begins. It begins with being honest with yourself, taking a moment and thinking. Are there areas in your life where you feel out of alignment? Are you saying yes when you mean no? Are you holding back your opinions because you fear the conflict that may come with how you respond to something? Or perhaps you're so busy showing up for everybody else that you've forgotten to even show up for yourself? So for me, it took a while to recognize this right.

Speaker 1: 13:42

Early in my career, I felt like I had to put on a mask to fit into my professional spaces. I started really young, at 24, which is kind of young in a higher education setting, because I work in a higher education setting and the arena in which I started was a male dominated arena. And so being young, being a black female, you know is that idea of having to prove that you made the right decision and I'm not going to do the things that you think I'm going to do because I am young and I am a black female, right, especially working in a male dominated arena. And so I really felt like I had to create this persona where, because I'm dealing with young men that are about my age in the higher education setting, I'm not that far removed from them when you think about the age difference yeah, I felt like I was kind of cute at 24. At 44, I still think I'm kind of cute, but nonetheless I did have some of my students at that time try to holler, flirt, do the things, because for them, hey, it's a young woman, she's not that close, she's not that far off in age, and so I felt like I had to create this. What I'm going to say is a persona that, yeah, this is not a line that you get ready to cross. I don't even want you to feel like this is a line that you can even cross.

Speaker 1: 15:10

So it created this level of professionalism that has really carried with me through my 20 years in this space of having a certain level of professionalism, being direct, and you know and you know I've shifted over time and embraced and made significant changes over time. But I remember vividly that at that point I was not showing up fully as me, right, I was trying to make sure that, hey, I had this persona that for the people that hire me. You made the right choice that I can do this job, no matter how young I am, no matter what my age is, I can do this job. You can have confidence in that. So that's one side of that coin. The other side of the coin is working with the students. Hey, I know I look good. I know you might holler at me if I was on the street, but I'm not and we not, so you can't. And so I created this persona of this professionalism.

Speaker 1: 16:12

But as I progressed in my career and really began to like, think about the bandwidth and the mental capacity that I was putting into, trying to fit into again somebody else's definition of success or standards for me, that I remember that I'm not giving you the best version of me, right? So when I decided to let people experience the full version of me, right? So when I decided to let people experience the full version of me, something shifted because eventually I got to the place of not really caring. I cared, but I didn't care as much because I knew what I brought to the table. I knew what my abilities were. I was confident in what my abilities were. I knew what I was capable of doing and in the moments in which I did fully show up, people got like all the energy, all the creativity. You know, you got the best pieces of me, you got the best version of me. You didn't get the watered down version. And so that's when I realized when people get the authentic version of you, they get the best version of you. They don't get some watered down pieces of you that we think that you want or we think you're not capable of handling.

Speaker 1: 17:23

And so, therefore, we fear what you may not be able to handle and shield those things. One, we shouldn't be making that decision for you. Two, we are potentially making an assumption about what you are able to deal with or handle not unless you didn't show us that you can't. And three, if you can't, do I really wanna be in that space? Do I really wanna be working here? Do I really wanna be in that relationship? Do I really wanna be dealing with you? Those are questions that you should definitely be asking yourself, right.

Speaker 1: 17:55

And so, as we think about this journey and as we think about the self-reflection and we think about self-awareness and really beginning to embrace who we are and being okay with who we are and how we show up in spaces with the understanding that we all got work to do, that there are always areas of improvement, there are always things that we can shift, there are always things that we can change, but the bottom line of the things is, if I am shrinking the best pieces of me to make you feel comfortable or to validate me being in this space with you, I really need to do some more self-reflection. And I really need to not just do self-reflection but take stock of my relationships and the dynamics in which I have. So I mentioned earlier that I do things. I do work in the emotional intelligence space. So in my emotional intelligence workshops, I always start with this foundational principle right, and that self-awareness is key. And for those who aren't familiar with emotional intelligence, the quick and dirty answer of it is is how to make your emotions work for you and not against you. And self-awareness for me is the first step in that process. So one of my go-to exercises is this I ask people to reflect on four things Think about your strengths.

Speaker 1: 19:12

What are your five strengths? What are those things that you rock at, that people call you about that you know that you can knock out of the park. You can knock out of the box, no matter what. These are things that I am amazing in and I have, without a shadow of a doubt, that I can do those things. Now, what are your five areas of improvement? What are those things? That's like I might need to work on that, or sometimes I think we get confused with weaknesses areas of improvement, however you want to term that that just because it's a weakness or a place where we may need to improve, that that's actually something that we need to fix Sometimes.

Speaker 1: 19:47

It's not always about fixing something, it's about acknowledging something. Remember, I said you can't change what you don't acknowledge, right? So it's important to first acknowledge what are your areas of improvement. So what are those spaces where, hey, you might need to do a little bit of work, or at least you need to be self-aware enough to know that you're lacking in that space? May not be anything that you can do about it right now or anything that you want to do about it, but you know, hey, I'm lacking in that space. I might need to do something, I might need to make some shifts and changes.

Speaker 1: 20:16

Then I want you to think about what are five things that you value, both in your workplace and your personal life, and I challenge you to do five for both. So, when you think about the workplace, what are things that have to show up in the workplace, things that you value, that have to? You have to see them in order for you to thrive in that space or that environment? And then think about your personal life. When you're thinking about your relationships, your friendships, your family, your romantic relationships what are those things that have to show up in those relationships for you to thrive and for people to get the best version of you? And then, lastly, is what are your five triggers? I think that's something that we don't talk a lot about, right?

Speaker 1: 20:59

So let's talk about triggers for a moment, because they often have the biggest impact on our ability to live authentically. These are the things that stir up an immediate emotional reaction for us. Maybe it's a frustration, a fear, that fight or flight that comes in, that anxiety that comes in, or even some anger. And here's the kicker we don't always take the time to one acknowledge what our triggers are and identify them, let alone create a plan to manage them when they show up, right. So here's a phrase that I often share Trauma produces triggers that impact how we trust and how we show up in our spaces produces triggers that impact how we trust and how we show up in our spaces.

Speaker 1: 21:41

So think about this for a second. Our experiences shape us in ways we may not fully understand until we pause and take time to reflect. Right, the beauty of this process is that once we name those triggers, we can learn to manage them instead of letting them control us. So we don't ever take time to identify the who, because sometimes it's a who or what triggers us, and even why that even became a trigger. That's even more reason, when those triggers show up, for you to shrink yourself and to put yourself in a box and not feel like you can be authentic and be yourself in your spaces. So I really challenge you to think about those four things and really take some time to reflect on them, especially your triggers, and I would even, when you're thinking about your five triggers, think about the potential trauma that produced those triggers or the potential things that happened in your life that produced those things. So another personal story.

Speaker 1: 22:41

So for years I think I felt like I had to tone down my personality, especially in professional settings and sometimes in other settings. It's not that I thought what if they don't like the real me? It was more about if I give all of me, are they going to be able to receive it? So that might be the same as if they like the real me, but it was really. You know, if I come in here with my blonde hair, is it going to be a problem? Does that mean that I'm not professional? Because we know there are professional norms out here and people tell you what you should and shouldn't look like, how you should dress, what you should wear, what you shouldn't wear, all of those things. So if I embrace that I like braids and faux locs and having my hair different from time to time, is that going to mean that I'm not professional? And is that going to make you feel like you didn't make a good choice in your hiring process when it came to me, if I'm a curvy girl and so if I wear this dress or I wear that, is it too tight or is it too this?

Speaker 1: 23:46

You know, those are things that early in my career I battled, like getting up and getting dressed for work in the morning was a challenge. I mean too much of a challenge. I mean too much of a challenge. I should not have thought so much about how I presented myself early in my career as I did. And again, inside, I knew that I was qualified. For every job I have had, I have never not thought I was qualified. I have never not thought that I deserve to be in that space. I deserve to be in every space that I was in. I feel like my steps were divinely ordered, that every space that I have existed in up into this point. God put me there for a reason and for a season.

Speaker 1: 24:33

But with all of that, I still had moments where I felt like I had to prove to people that. But you did, you made the right decision, and so sometimes that wasn't in my work ethic, sometimes that was just purely just education and into the regular realm of it where I'm experiencing all students. But at the end of the day, it still put me in a position to really feel like I needed to shield myself and to wear a mask. But here's what I discovered Again when I showed up as my full self, people got my energy, people got my passion, could see my passion, my creativity flow naturally and it actually brought out the best in people that were around me. Right, so a good, I guess, scenario or a time that made me, that validated me in Keisha. You just need to be you.

Speaker 1: 25:53

As I mentioned, I'm a speaker, I speak a lot and in a lot of my presentations, people you know you do your speaking, you do your thing or whatever, and afterwards you may have people that come up and talk to you about what you talked about and sometimes people talk to me about the topic, but what I found was a consistent theme or consistent message that I got at probably 90% of my speaking engagements and I speak. In a good month I could speak five to six times in a month. In a good month, I could speak five to six times in a month, and 90% of my speaking engagements, when people come up and talk to me, especially women and especially women of color, is the appreciation of me being me, that when they see me up there, they see or they feel that I am being my most authentic self and that I am showing them, I'm being a representative to them, that they can also be themselves, that you come in here and you're still professional, like you give. You still give professional, but it also it also is showing that you give a piece of you, um, that you give a piece of who you are, where you're from, how you've grown up. Your, your cultural lens comes into play as well, and I began to embrace my blonde hair, my, my red lip and now in my speaking engagement, a lot of times, my J's, because I got out of being worried about what everybody else had to say. I got out of being worried about the professional norms within the arena in which I work, and embraced Again. When you get the full version of me, you get the best version of me.

Speaker 1: 27:54

Yes, I could go on and on and on about how showing up as my authentic self, especially in my professional setting, has really, I think, helped me progress the way that I have. It's made me more comfortable in the skin that I am in. It's made me more comfortable with who I am. So when I do go out and I do do things, I'm able to bring that level of confidence because I'm not worried about all the noise or all the things of trying to be perfect in that space. But nonetheless, we got more to talk about.

Speaker 1: 28:18

So now that we've laid that groundwork and really talked about how to begin the journey, I think the most important part of this journey is what we're going to talk about next, and that's embracing yourself, and embracing yourself fully and unapologetically. So, as you think about beginning your journey to living authentically, I challenge you to start with that. Reflect on those four areas that we talked about. Write them down, sit with them, acknowledge what's working and what's not working. Right, and remember this living authentically isn't, again, it's not about being perfect. It's just about being honest, being honest with yourself and being honest with the people around you. It's about showing up fully, unapologetically and knowing that when you do, you're giving the world the best version of you all. Right now, we've laid the groundwork. We've talked about self-awareness and reflection and all the things that could potentially be holding us back. I gave you some personal stories, things like that. Now we're about to dive into the most important part of this journey and we're going to close this thing out embracing yourself fully and unapologetically. Now let me tell you something Embracing yourself fully and unapologetically is not easy.

Speaker 1: 29:35

It isn't about just saying, yeah, this is who I am and leaving it at that. It's really about owning every part of who you are. Like I said, the good, the bad, the ugly, the messy, the beautiful, the powerful, all of it, then showing up with confidence and letting the world know that this is me and I am okay with me. I am good with me. Matter of fact, I am great with me. But let's be real, most of us aren't comfortable doing that. Most of us aren't comfortable from operating in that space. Some of us come from a place where we were taught to fit in, or we were taught to follow the rules, or we were taught that we can't color outside the lines, we can't make no noise, we can't make no waves. We got to be the good woman, the good girl, whatever the case may be, and that mindset, or the good man because also, this is for men too, this isn't just for women, let me be clear but that mindset can keep us small.

Speaker 1: 30:37

I talked a lot about how I used to spend so much energy worrying about how I showed up, especially that piece of. Am I too much right? Am I too much for you? Am I too much for the people and the places in which I'm trying to occupy? I worried about my hair. I worried about my clothes. I worried about my level of professionalism. I worried about too many things, right? I was so caught up in fitting into these invisible professional boxes, that I was dimming my own light so that your light can shine, and that's absolutely not what I want to do. It is not making sense. The math is not mapping on that one right. But one day I decided you know what, I can't do that anymore. I don't have the mental capacity or the bandwidth to worry about it.

Speaker 1: 31:30

One, two, those few times where I did show up fully as myself, I rocked that thing and people told me I rocked that thing. And so I got closer to being OK with my blonde hair, my red lips and my J's, being okay with my blonde hair, my red lips and my J's at a keynote with 200 people, because you still got what you paid for. And guess what? Not only did the world not fall apart, but I realized something when I showed up as me, fully and unapologetically, people responded better, they connected with me more because they could see my passion, they could see my energy, they could see my creativity, because I wasn't worried about all the other stuff. And that's the thing when you let people experience the full version of you, they get the best version of you, not the watered down, masked up version we think they want. But you got to overcome those what ifs and so I get it.

Speaker 1: 32:27

Embracing yourself isn't always easy. That little voice of doubt loves to creep in right, it whispers. What if they don't like the real me? What if I'm too much? Well, let me tell you this right now, you are not too much. You are exactly enough as you are right now. And if someone can't handle you or doesn't appreciate what you bring to the table, that's not your problem, that's a them problem. And honestly, do you even want to be in spaces or relationships that can't handle your fullness? Probably not.

Speaker 1: 33:04

So let's talk about how to actually do this. How do you start embracing yourself fully and unapologetically? The first thing is acknowledge your worth. Sit down with yourself and get real about what makes you you, your strengths, your skills, your quirks. Write it all down, because sometimes we forget just how amazing we are until we see it staring back at us on a piece of paper.

Speaker 1: 33:29

Two, my favorite thing to tell people stop apologizing for being you. I have a newsletter and it will also be an episode called the Apology Life. This is a big one for me. If you've been saying I'm sorry for setting boundaries for having an opinion or shoot, just existing. Please stop it. Like today, you don't need to explain or justify your presence to anyone, right? Lastly, show up fully. So the next time you feel the urge to hold back or shrink yourself, pause. The next time you feel the urge to hold back or shrink yourself, pause, remind yourself that you deserve to be in every space that you occupy, and then show up fully, because when you do, you're giving them permission to do the same thing.

Speaker 1: 34:18

So here's what I've learned when you show up as yourself, unapologetically, you create space for other people to do the same thing. People are drawn to that energy. It's powerful, but being unapologetic does not mean that you're going to be reckless or dismissive. It's about being confident in who you are, while still being open to growth. It's saying this is me, flaws and all. I'm proud of who I am and I'm working on who I am becoming. That is where the magic happens.

Speaker 1: 34:48

So, as we wrap this up, I want you to remember this Embracing yourself fully isn't about being perfect. It isn't about being perfect. Must I say it again? It's about being real. It's about choosing every single day to show up as your authentic self, no matter how scary it feels, because when you do, you're not just living, you're thriving. And we're just getting started. Right, we're going to dive into so much more as it relates to living the authentic life. Well, that's all, folks. We are at the end. I have said a lot, I have dropped a lot of nuggets that I hope that you have picked up, and, as we wrap up this first episode, let me remind you of this Living authentically is a journey and it is not a final destination. It is not about getting it right all the time. It's really about showing up every day in the best way that you can. So here's another quick little story before we go.

Speaker 1: 35:53

Last year, I started carving out time every morning just to sit with myself. No emails, no phone, no social media, no, nothing, Just me, my thoughts and, most of the time, my journal. At first it felt a little awkward, like what am I supposed to do with this silence, but over time it really has become a favorite part of my week or a favorite part of my day. That quiet space has really helped me reconnect with myself and get clear on what authenticity looks like for me in that moment, and not just to do that, but also to kind of process, like what my day is going to look like. What has my week looked like? What did my night look like before? What am I dealing with now? What do I need to process and get out my head so that I have a wonderful day?

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So, with that, I'm going to leave you with some homework. Yeah, we do homework around here, but it's easy. It's all going to be around that self-discovery and really beginning to embrace you, right? So I want you to take five minutes a day to sit with yourself no distractions, no people, no social media, no phone, just you and ask yourself this what does living authentically look like for me? And if you don't know yet what that is, that's okay, it's all right, because we're starting with the intention of finding out. So that's your homework. That's what I want you to work on Now, thinking about the next podcast and the next thing that we're going to be talking about.

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We're going to be diving into boundaries, why they're hard to set, how to protect your peace and how they're actually a radical form of self-love. So, trust me, you don't want to miss that piece. You don't want to miss that conversation. With that, I want to thank you again for joining me for the first episode, the first full episode and the first step of the journey of living the authentic life. So, if this episode resonated with you, please don't forget to hit subscribe, leave a review and, most importantly, share it with the world. Share it with someone who needs to hear this. Remember, the world needs your authentic self, so don't be afraid to show up With that.

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This has been the Authentic Life. I'm Keisha, I'm your host, I'm your guide and maybe even your accountability partner. So until next time, peace, love and blessings and live the authentic life every day. Have a great one. Well, folks, the episode has come to an end. Thank you for hanging out with me on the Authentic Life. If you loved today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, because subscribing it's just like an instant invite to more fun, to more inspiration and to more authentic vibes. I could also use a review, so leave a review or share this with someone that you feel needs a little inspiration, but whatever you do, let's spread the joy of the authentic life. Remember this your authentic self is your greatest gift to the world, and no one should ever make you feel like you aren't. Until next time, stay true, stay bold and keep living the authentic life, peace, love and blessings from your girl Keisha.