The authenticity project
A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be” ― Abraham H. Maslow
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I have an obsession with the word authenticity. I haven’t always been able to live up to it and I often veer off its trajectory. Nevertheless, I want to make it my life’s work to be as authentic to myself as I can possibly be—it’s my Soul’s work.
Authenticity comes from the Latin word “Author” and simply means to become the author of one’s life. Being authentic means coming from a real place within, where our actions and words are congruent with our beliefs and values.
Authenticity is not a destination but a journey of deep self-discovery. It requires self-knowledge and self-awareness. Living authentically is not stagnant. It is constantly shifting and taking on new forms and we must continually be learning about ourselves, challenging old beliefs, facing our fears, and courageously reaching deep within ourselves to find out what makes our heart sing and our spirit soar.
True authenticity is being ourselves and not an imitation of what we think we should be, or what others want us to be. We all have a unique gift or talent, and we must find it and nurture it, as it will give us the greatest platform to become who we must be and as such serve humanity accordingly.
The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”— Carl Jung
My adventure started almost eight years ago when I faced difficult times for the first time in my life. These forced me to ask the big questions and self-reflect. I read and learned and slowly started doing the things that made me feel good.
I tried many things, some were successful and some failed but I kept trying. I was often ridiculed and I was lost for a while. I asked too many questions. I still do, but now I understand that the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our questions.
I haven’t yet found the Holy Grail. I doubt if it exists, but that’s not the point. I know that most of the hard work is still ahead of me, but at least I’m on the path that feels right for me. I’m on an adventure that excites me day and night.
I’m now wearing many hats and feel all the better for it. I’ve become a better person. I’m better with my family and friends. I’ve become more transformational than transactional in the company that I own and run.
I’ve found I have a passion for writing and that I must write every day. I’m constantly improving my skills and putting myself out there in the writing world. I also speak regularly and I’m very happy to do so especially when my audience is always looking to learn and grow.
What is “The Authenticity Project”?
TAP, as it’s known for short, is an initiative, which was born out of conversations I had with a friend. We both quickly agreed that it would be a great idea to celebrate those people that we believe are living authentic and inspiring lives. Most people are satisfied with living ordinary lives or lives that they don’t really want.
The Authenticity Project is a way to inspire people to dare to dream and start to follow what their hearts truly want. To live a life with meaning and contentment, where love replaces fear, where money is a tool and a servant to our needs rather than being the master, and where symbols of success are not the end goal but rather by-products of authentic happiness.
They say “Success leaves clues.” There is a common theme we’ve noticed with the pioneering examples we’ve profiled to date on The Authenticity Project such as Patrick Awuah, Elikem Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Selassie Atadika, Nana Amoako-Anin, Kojo Adomakoh, Nana Kofi Acquah, Samuel Yeboah and Jerry N. Halm.
• They had the courage to follow their rightful path—making hard choices that aligned with their values.
• They wanted to connect and belong with other human beings.
• They were compassionate and willing to serve their community
• They had an aura of inner peace and contentment.
• They wanted to keep learning and growing.
• They valued their freedom and didn’t want to fit into a box or follow the herd.
• They also had the strength to listen to their inner voice ignoring all the outside noise that wants to distract them from their true authentic path.
Authenticity doesn’t mean we must follow a set formula of success. There isn’t one career that works and another that doesn’t. It could be the same career but two people doing it differently, one authentically and one not.
The famous singer who cares for her audience, rather than growing her Instagram account. The company building entrepreneur who gives back to his community by treating his employees and customers well even if it means losing some of his net profits.
The politician who avoids being corrupted to make a difference in his community. The doctor who would rather save lives than save money. The baker who wakes up at 3 a.m. to serve his customers, calling them by their first names and leaving them feeling satisfied. Their names could be Steve Jobs or Joe Bloggs.
What I’m trying to say is that we are all unique beings. I can’t be Steve Jobs. I’m not meant to be him. I want to be me. The best version of me. If that means I need to change what I’m doing, then so be it. If it means change the people around me, then so be it. If it means change where I’m living, then so be it.
We only have one life and we need to live it authentically. It’s not easy as too often we allow the noise of our surroundings and environment to smother the music that is within us.
To be nobody but yourself in a world, which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting. ― E.E. Cummings
The people we’ve profiled to date on The Authenticity Project are successful in what they have chosen to live for and inspire us to awaken to our aliveness. They were not always on their authentic path. They might still deviate from it every now and then, but at the end they keep at it, because of their courage and discipline to do so.
The Authenticity Project seeks to hear more stories from people living authentically. There are many out there who are too afraid to come out of the woodwork and don’t even know their lives can inspire others. There are many people doing amazing things and no one knows about them.
The Authenticity Project is aimed at inspiring such people to come forward and share their stories.
We hope to select and highlight some of the most authentic stories submitted to us at a special event to be held nest month, where a special panel will identify one winner. The winner will receive a cash prize and a one-year mentorship programme from a selection of our inspiring TAP ambassadors.
• The writer is a motivational speaker and CEO of KIMO Home
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