“Regret is often a symptom of not being authentic in relation to a particular circumstance. When you fail to speak your truth or act in integrity with your own values and guiding principles, you experience a measure of torment. While you may have difficulty in defining your own sense of authenticity, you are acutely aware when you are not being true to yourself.”
“Not speaking our truth is a strategy most of us learned as children. We all have been raised to blend in to some degree, or not feel our feelings. It is no wonder that so many of us have become so dependent in our relationships. We have found greater security and comfort in meeting other people’s needs, responding to other people’s feelings rather than our own. Authenticity is a fundamental component of wholeness. It honors all that we are. With authenticity, we become cocreators of a fulfilling life that springs forth from all which is genuine and beautiful in us. Authenticity is the litmus test of our self-worth. When we truly value ourselves, we live in integrity with our spiritual nature.”
Gary Simmons, The I of the Storm, Embracing Conflict, Creating Peace, page 61.










