How to Live More Authentically
How to build a life that you authentically love, from someone who’s done just that
One of the hardest realizations that came after my burnout was that I had not been living my life authentically. Far from it, actually.
I had no idea of my own values or what mattered to me. Instead, I’d been making decisions that aligned with the values and a definition of success held by other people: my parents, my peers, society at large.
No wonder this led to a catastrophic burnout.
In retrospect, burnout just seems like my body’s intelligent response to its circumstances, namely, chronic workplace stress. I was working long hours in a profession that I didn’t find fulfilling (some people find corporate finance law super stimulating; fun fact! I’m not one of them).
I felt like I was forever sprinting, never keeping up, always falling short.
Eventually, I felt like I was an observer of my own life: watching from the outside through a glass pane. Not actively participating, never truly present.
It took concerted effort, but these days, my life mainly feels authentically my own. This isn’t an easy process — nor a quick one. It’s a lifelong process. And yet it’s one of the best choices I’ve ever made…
