INSPIRATION
you’ve hidden behind. Remember, you are not your job,
your title, your significant other, what you wear or the
car you drive. Digging deep may unveil that you’ve been
relying on external things to validate your worth and
your existence. You may discover that you’ve been trying
to measure up to everybody’s expectations of you. Once
you dig deep and are honest with yourself, this will usher
you into awareness. Self- awareness awakens us
from our sleep and slumber. It helps us recognize selfsabotaging patterns and life no longer “just happens”
to us. We become increasingly aware of the areas in
our lives that we need to gingerly and compassionately
work on so that we can live authentically.
A dear friend of mine coined me “The Authenticity
Specialist.” Why? Because living an authentic life is
my way of life. My early years were not the best
and well into my adult years challenges and
struggles abounded.
I am not saying that I do not face challenges or
struggles, but the manner in which I handle them are
no longer the same. From physical and emotional
abuse, neglect, abandonment, divorce, and a myriad
of other struggles, my freedom came when I decided
to embrace who I am unapologetically. Not only did I
embrace the good, but I allowed myself to be vulnerable
and embrace the not so good. Then, I made a
decision to work on those not so good areas in
my life and to heal from the wounds of my past.
I started seeing myself through new lenses and
that is what I encourage you to do. You have to
see yourself through loving, honest and
accepting eyes. Not through someone else’s
eyes. Not through what you have gone through.
Look at what you have overcome. It took you not
giving up. It took you deciding to no longer be a victim.
IT TOOK YOU TO FINALLY WAKE UP AND SAY, “TODAY
I WILL STOP VICTIMIZING MYSELF! I WILL PULL OFF
THE DISGUISE AND EMBRACE MY AUTHENTIC SELF.”
There is so much joy in living an authentic life. And yes,
the road to authenticity can conjure up feelings of pain
and may cause some relationships to be severed, but
the outcome is worth it all. YOU HAVE THE POWER to
live life authentically.
Embracing Your
Authentic Self
By KATINA (KAT) JONES-AMOAH
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines authenticity
as being true to one’s own personality, spirit or
character. I call this “owning” who you are and living
from your core - being fully and completely aware
and accepting of who you are.
To me, authenticity is the most truthful place within
myself. It is me making a choice every day to breathe
the essence of who I am into my family, my career
and my relationships.
Embracing the power of your authentic self requires
honesty. It is digging deep, going down to the bone
and marrow of your core and unveiling your true
self. Your genuine self may be covered in debris,
loneliness, rejection, anger, self-pity, abandonment,
pain, other people’s values and a multitude of facades
Do you hear your authentic voice beckoning you to
come? I challenge you to answer and watch your life
change from the inside out.
Katina “Kat” Jones-Amoah is the Founder of You Can
Women in Business and Authentic You Coaching
and Consulting.
28 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 AFIYA MAGAZINE