In a culture of "artificial intelligence" and "virtual reality" it can be a challenge to be authentic.

Authenticity means erasing the gap between what you firmly believe inside and what you reveal to the outside world. Adam Grant

Living an authentic life with courage is meeting your fear, looking it in the eye, but diving in anyway because it is how you want to show up for yourself. Brene Brown

The idea of authenticity is a powerful shaping force for individual identity, a functional state, a way of moving through the world.

Authenticity is also a feeling, and research shows it feels awfully good.

You can counterfeit a Picasso, but can you counterfeit yourself? Feeling like a fake can be a sign of growth, and clinging too tightly to what feels like one's authentic self can hinder that growth.

We will know that we are accessing our authentic self when we can access all 8 of these qualities:

1. Curiosity

2. Calm

3. Clarity

4. Connectedness

5. Confidence

6. Courage

7. Creativity

8. Compassion