CoSMI - 1.0.1.05 - Authenticity - Know Yourself (part 1)
Psalm 26:2
Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind
In the first sermon in the related series on social media influencing, I opened with an endorsement of authenticity. And got an immediate response asking how one can be authentic on social media.
So I guess I have to back up a bit, and start earlier in the process.
To be authentic is to be true to yourself. Which then begs the question of how to be true to yourself. So the first step is obvious: know yourself.
At least it is obvious to *me*. The thing is, I'm really old, and I have more than seven decades of experience at this. Maybe it isn't obvious to those who haven't spent as long at it. They might think that they already know themselves. Or, they may have taken the first step, and realized that they don't really know themselves.
And you never really *do* know yourself. Not completely. It is a life long process. Mostly because it is hard. Secondly because you keep on changing, and, every time you change, you have to unlearn something about yourself that you thought was correct, and relearn the new bit.
Another reason that it is hard to know yourself is that the world keeps on blaring noise at you, and particularly about who and what you are. And often this noise is quite wrong. The world has reasons for feeding you this misinformation. The world wants you to buy things, so it tells you that you need them, or want them. Maybe you do, but very often you don't. But the world keeps on repeating the message that you do, so it's hard to decide what is truly you.
A first step, although not necessarily *the* first step, is to cut out the noise and distractions, as much as you can. Some people suggest that meditation is a good start, but an awful lot of the people who are promoting meditation are also trying to sell you something, so I'm going to suggest something that is even simpler. Just sit in the quiet for a while. Turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Turn off the social media. Turn off the ringer on your phone, or, better yet, turn off your phone for a while. Don't be afraid of missing out: believe me, social media will still be there when you get back.
Don't think that you are going to get some kind of inspired insight on the first try. Believe me, the first time you try this, it may terrify you. As a matter of fact, for an inspired insight, that's not too bad. The realization that just simply sitting, by yourself, in the quiet, without the world constantly bombarding you with messages, is terrifying. Just think about that for a minute. What is so frightening about that?
At any rate, this is going to take a while. You are going to have to try it a number of times. Each time, finding a little bit more about yourself. How do you feel? Why are you feeling that way? What does this teach you about yourself?
And this is only a first step.
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