Authenticity

This past May was my sister’s 40th birthday and I wanted to give her a very special gift, so I decided to write her a song. I have been writing songs my whole life, but it had been about a year since I had written anything. So, I sequestered myself in my 3-season room, told my family not to disturb me, and took the afternoon to write a song for my sister...and I felt such incredible peace. It had been quite some time since I had felt such wholeness, such bliss, such authenticity.
What is authenticity? Why is authenticity important? What does it do? How do we live from a place of authenticity? Athletes call it “flow”, new age spiritualists call it ‘being in the present moment’, and I call it authentic embodiment. The definition of embody is “to be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to”, and authentic is defined as “of undisputed origin; genuine”. To me, authenticity, true authenticity, is a pure connection to the Divine within you.
I’m not a huge sports fan, yet I remember watching Michael Jordan play. He was amazing at finding the state of flow, and it was thrilling to watch--even for me! Athletes inspire us because we recognize this state of flow...this authenticity in their movements. Just go to a Packer party on any given Sunday and watch how excited fans get when the players are in the flow. This state of flow is also commonly found in artists when they are creating, writers when they are writing, and performers when they are performing. Creativity inspires authenticity! And we all reap the benefits of these inspired creations.
I have been teaching people to sing for the past 20 years. In my work with singers, I have really been cultivating a practice of embodying authenticity through singing. Just as singers can choose to practice singing to strengthen their voices, we can practice embodying our authenticity to live more meaningful lives. Sometimes a singer falls into the trap of trying to sound like someone else because they admire them or because they are successful. Yet in all my years of experience, the most moving and emotionally true sound a singer can make is when they are fully connected to their own authenticity. This is what truly moves others in a performance.
So, how can you embody more authenticity in your life? You don’t have to be a singer to share your ‘voice’, or a professional athlete to be in the ‘flow’. Your essence is always right there, inside of you. Living from your authenticity helps you to focus on the things that are important in your life. Your authentic offering is truly the most beautiful contribution you can make. Now the real question is, how can you share more of your authentic essence in the world?
Dawn Riesing is a voice coach and a life coach who specializes in launching her clients into embodying their authenticity through her coaching and energy work.
Dawn is currently running an "Embodying Essence" Coaching Special: 3 Session package for $180 includes 3 60-minute "Embodiment" Sessions.
Reach her at dawnriesing@gmail.com or 262-490-3401