3 Ways Connecting With Your Authentic Self Leads to Writing Success
As writers, one of our most important tools is our voice. However, losing our voice can be one of our greatest challenges. It can be so easy to get out of touch with ourselves and our voices amidst the chaos of our noisy world. We sometimes even silence our own voices for fear of judgement or not living up to society’s expectations.
I’m telling you all of this from firsthand experience. I myself went through a period in my life where I lost my voice and sense of self. My own story starts in my home country Estonia, where I started my career as a successful politician. Due to my hard work and determination, I achieved a level of success that had only been seen before in senior male politicians.
I eventually decided to move to New York with my then-husband, Vishen Lakhiani, who had always dreamt of starting a meditation company. Together we worked on what would later become Mindvalley, a leading global platform that offers educational courses to help people of all ages improve the quality of their relationships, health, mindset, and well-being.
Through my role as a co-founder of Mindvalley, I had a chance to work with the world’s best transformational teachers, and I have been involved in the personal transformation industry for over 18 years. I became an international public speaker, sharing the stage with famous entrepreneurs and best-selling authors. But despite all of this personal and financial success, when I turned 40, I slowly began to realize that I wasn’t living in touch with my authentic self.
I had lost my own voice somewhere along the way, and it took a long period of serious self-reflection before I was able to step into my authenticity again. This realization led me on a quest as a speaker and writer to teach others how to create an extraordinary life by embracing their most authentic, unapologetic self.
That’s why I will be publishing a new book to help people find happiness by getting reacquainted with their most authentic selves, which will be coming in late 2021. For any writers working on their next book and struggling to get in touch with themselves, here are the top three reasons why finding your authentic self can help increase your chances of success as a writer:
1) Your Authenticity Will Allow You to Create Your Own True Message
Until you find your most authentic self, you will not be able to discover your own message. And without this message, your work will merely be a reiteration of the work of other authors and thinkers. No one wants to hear you recreate other peoples’ thoughts!
When I first started my career as an author five years ago, I had a tendency to use ideas that I had recycled from other writers’ teachings because I hadn’t yet found my voice. But once you’ve discovered your authentic self and have a clear understanding of your purpose in life, you will have the ability to write something unique and valuable, which will help you find success as a writer.
2) Finding Your Own Voice Will Give You Resilience
Another reason why finding your authentic self will increase your chances of becoming a successful writer is that you’ll become more resilient. Having a strong sense of self will allow you to face rejection, writer’s block, and other disappointments that may arise during your writing career with confidence and grace.
I personally felt more confident once I came to peace with my personal message several years ago. In the past, I often felt like an imposter when I shared the stage with other famous public speakers. But now that I have found my authentic self, I have gained confidence and boldness that allows me to stand up and share my ideas with others without the fear that people will judge my accent or my background. Knowing that my personal message is important has given me a newfound fortitude, and this realization will help you get through many difficult times.
In fact, overcoming times of struggle and doubt is what makes us stronger. These are the moments in which we learn and grow the most, which will make your unique story and what you have to share even more unique.
3) Your Writing Will Flourish Thanks to Your Own Unique Flair
Lastly, understanding who you are and what makes you unique will give your writing more flavor. In my case, I love to joke and keep things light-hearted in my writing, even though I know that everyone may not understand my sense of humor. I also embrace my nerdier side and reference fun movies and books if they can help me illustrate my point.
I strongly believe that personal quirks and stories are what will make your writing stick out. And if you relate to them on a personal level, even theoretical concepts can give your writing a personal flair.
The main point is that readers will find it easier to connect with you if your writing is personal and genuine. Only once you begin to identify, understand, and accept every dimension of your most authentic self will you be able to bring your unique voice to life in your work.
Self-discovery can seem intimidating at first, but it’s the best investment you will ever make in yourself. One of the main reasons I decided to write my upcoming book Becoming Flawesome was because I wanted to make it easier for you to find your way back to your authentic self and live on your own terms.
Order Becoming Flawesome by Kristina Mand-Lakhiani today.
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I truly believe that when you are completely honest with yourself and courageous enough to accept yourself unconditionally, making authenticity the center of your life, success will come naturally. After all, without your personal voice, words are just words. But once you truly find your authentic self, your words become a compelling story that the world wants to hear.
If you love to write and have a story you want to tell, the only thing that can stand between you and the success you’re seeking isn’t craft, or a good agent, or enough Facebook friends and Twitter followers, but fear. Fear that you aren’t good enough, or fear the market is too crowded, or fear no one wants to hear from you. Fortunately, you can’t write while being in the flow and be afraid simultaneously. The question is whether you will write fearlessly.