5 Steps To Connect To Your Authentic Self Using The ‘Truth’ Method

Are there times when you feel disconnected from your true, authentic self? If so, you're not alone.

Many people going through life challenges (such as divorce) look outside of themselves for confirmation on how to interpret their intuition or consciously indulge in behaviors that deviate from their own value system.

When these patterns develop, your ability to think logically gets weaker over time, and you begin to consistently question how to trust or interpret your emotions.

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As a result, you can become numb or be overtaken with fear or uncertainty. Consequently, you live in a state of self-doubt, which separates you from your own authentic feelings.

By quieting your mind and focusing on the "T.R.U.T.H." framework, you can connect to your thoughts and feelings and live a more authentic life.

Here are 5 steps you need to take to connect to your authentic self using the "T.R.U.T.H." method.

1. Trust yourself.

There's no one more important to trust than yourself. There are many layers of self-evaluation and acceptance that can be strengthened over time with focused intention.

Believing that you're capable of handling painful emotions, failure, or rejection is core to developing self-trust.

Having a conviction of your capability can build your confidence, make it easier for you to make decisions, reduce your stress levels, and lessen your need for approval from others.

With conscious action, trust can become more prevalent.

• Be yourself: You are unique and important.
• Set reasonable goals for yourself: Try setting many little goals that point you in the direction of your big goal.
• Be kind to yourself: Be mindful of your self-critical thoughts as they arise, acknowledge them, and let them go. Set the intention of loving yourself unconditionally.
• Build on your strengths: Be aware of the things you are good at and try other things without judging yourself too harshly. Growth comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone.
• Spend time with yourself: Look inward. Focus on the moment and do your best to fill your love tank.
• Be decisive: Embrace your own power and judgment. Make choices and stick to them.

No one can be as consistently supportive as you can be to yourself. Trust your inner wisdom.

2. Reflect.

Hop off the treadmill, step back, and reflect on your life, behaviors, and beliefs, so you can find balance in mind, body, and spirit.

Being aware of your thoughts and how to uncover your core values and principals is essential to your happiness.

Time flies by and without consciously pausing to evaluate your circumstance, character, actions, and motives, you can feel depleted, stressed, unhappy, frustrated, and tired.

In order to connect with your truth, you can set the intention of following these steps:

• Stop: Take a step back from life and allow yourself to take three deep breaths.
• Look: Identify and get perspective on what you notice and see without judgment.
• Listen: Connect to your feelings, your wisest guide.
• Act: Identify the steps you need to take to be at one with your truth. Be open to adjusting, changing, or improving.

Taking time for reflection will serve to keep you in check, focused on self-improvements, and will ensure you are as fulfilled as possible while being loyal to your truth.

3. Understand.

It's essential to look within yourself to define and get clear on what truly aligns with your deepest values.

Developing an understanding of what's meaningful to you. Making a conscious effort to identify and live by your values will allow you to speak your truth, as opposed to reacting from old, negative patterns.

Becoming sympathetic with yourself requires:

• Accepting who you are, in this moment: It is normal to struggle or to be disappointed. What is imperative is to focus on bridging the gap between where you are and where you want to be without judgment or blame.
• Acknowledging who you are: Each of us has impulses that drive us. Take time to understand your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your personal standards and ethical code.
• Define your truth: Think, meditate, and journal your thoughts and feelings.
• Live loud and proud: Be honest and full in your truth. Be supportive of what is true for you alone and unhindered by outside influences.

Understanding and learning to accept your story and your life is what connects you to your truth and will help you have a deep sensitivity and knowing for how your world needs to evolve.

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4. Talk (openly).

Communicating what your identity, feelings, needs, boundaries, and desires are in an authentic way is crucial to living in alignment with your truth.

In order to enhance your capacity to speak your truth, you need to:

• Be honest and name how you feel in the moment: Communicate care for others. If you feel uncomfortable, scared, resentful, sad, angry, or guilty, identify the emotion. Inner liberation comes from owning your feelings.
• Practice acknowledging what you want: Speak up and step into your life, so you can be in truth with what you want. Your desires are a critical part of who you are.
• If you have nothing to say, embrace the silence: Sometimes, the best response is to say nothing.
• Focus on being real and not on being right: When someone asks you how you feel, tell the truth. Small moments of authenticity allow you to receive compassion and empathy. Additionally, try not to set the intention of winning or being correct, because it inhibits you from accessing the deepest places of your heart.
• Stop managing other people’s feelings: Dominating conversations and people is not productive and doesn’t help build authentic communication.

Giving yourself permission to be vulnerable and transparent will enhance and deepen your capacity to speak your truth and will lead to increased freedom, self-respect, and confidence.

5. Honor yourself.

Honoring your inner wisdom is the most powerful tool you have for living an authentic life.

When you're honest with yourself about your needs and wants are — and you live a life that's aligned with them — you have a stronger ability to let go of desiring validation by others.

Honoring your truth can be really difficult and scary. In order to nurture your inner wisdom, set the intention of becoming one with your intuition and allow it to guide you in an appropriate direction.

• Be committed to honoring your reality: Be honest with yourself about yourself.
• Be aware of the things you've been avoiding: Be mindful of the excuses you implement that keep you stuck. Identify and write them down.
• Partner with your emotions: Relax into your feelings of fear or discomfort, instead of resisting them. By partnering with your feelings, you decrease the power of scary or uncomfortable feelings and allow yourself the ability to honestly explore the depth of your emotions.
• Give yourself permission to speak from a place of sincerity: Hiding or burying your feelings doesn’t get you closer to your truth and does not fuel happiness. Be real with your emotions.
• Be candid with how you feel: Don't pretend to feel something you don’t. Speak up for yourself and create healthy boundaries. People will treat you the way you allow them to.
• Take time to reflect on what truly matters to you: Pausing allows you time to react in a more positive manner and to keep peace within yourself.

Your truth is your power!

Create space to become more aware of your highest principles, values, and desires. Integrity serves everyone in the long run, even if it does not seem that way at first.

Being sincere about how you feel, what you want, and what you need will allow you to respect yourself as well as others.

Set the intention of validating your inner wisdom, despite any discomfort that might arise because when you stand in your truth, you are honoring your very essence and purpose.

True freedom derives from speaking authentically. Go ahead! Take the challenge of embracing a life of liberation and use the T.R.U.T.H. Framework to feel empowered and confident.

How will you live your truth?

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Jennifer Warren Medwin is a CDC certified divorce coach, Supreme Court of Florida family mediator, and a certified marital mediator. She has a private practice in Pinecrest, Miami, Seeking Empowerment: Clarity through Partnership.

This article was originally published at gabriellehartley.com. Reprinted with permission from the author.