Embracing Authenticity

During the middle of the pandemic, my friend Jon gifted me these three vintage sock monkeys he found during his travels. These adorable little monkeys have sweet faces and wonderful energy. What a gift of joy, especially during challenging times, and their hand-crafted uniqueness reminded me to embrace authenticity!

The little sock monkeys came in an old cardboard box with two handwritten notes stating, “We are in this together” and “Box o’ love.”

I could tell that over the years, they were well-loved and had become as “real” as the little rabbit in Margery Williams Bianco’s, The Velveteen Rabbit.

“Generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
― Margery Williams Bianco, The Velveteen Rabbit

I love these little sock monkeys just as they are; stained, threadbare, and irregularly stuffed. I cleaned them up as best I could but did not try to “fix” them. I fell in love with their charming quirkiness, which led me to ponder my authenticity. (Because, ya know, sometimes I’m a bit insecure about my threadbare spots.)

Here are some ways to embrace authenticity:

1. Be honest with yourself about your feelings, thoughts, and desires. The older I get, the better I am at listening to what’s really going on with me. I practice self-reflection and self-awareness to understand better who I am and what I want.
2. Don’t be afraid to express your true self to others. Growing up, my sister called me “The Diplomat” as I always strived to keep the peace. Now, when I express myself, I also factor in what brings me peace.
3. Learn to let go of the things that no longer serve you and embrace change. I now regularly and consciously clean house both physically and spiritually.
4. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you to be authentic. If the people you hang out with want you to be someone else, then find the ones who encourage you to be you! It takes too much energy to be someone else.

Embracing authenticity takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. Living authentically makes me feel more fulfilled and connected to myself and those around me.

It’s important to remember that we are all in this together. It’s easy to feel alone or isolated in difficult times, but we must lean on each other for support and guidance. Whether facing a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, or personal struggles, we can overcome these challenges by working together. Let’s support each other, be kind, and do our part to create a better future for everyone.

Thank you, Jon, for the box o love and the reminder that we are all in this together.