Last weekend, I went to see the 2016: Obama’s America movie and my eyes were definitely opened to the seriousness of where our country could be in 2016. What I became aware of is how much of what drives us is an internal compass…our internal guide and beliefs that drive us to do what we do.Much of this compass is made up of all our early programming from our parents. In Obama’s case, he didn’t have much involvement with his biological Dad, but his mother always had his Dad on a pedestal even after they divorced. So much of what got instilled in him was his Dad’s vision, which he has adopted. It’s interesting how some of this could be passed on without having direct involvement with the parent.

What this showed me is how critical those early perceptions are that begin to shape who we are and our identity. I have recently identified much of what my Dad instilled in me. He always represented a lot of pride in being a doctor and the status that went along with it. Much of his striving for status and success in life got passed on to me and led me to self-impose stress on myself to live out this striving.

The pressure to succeed has prevented me from living authentically. It wasn’t until I identified this was I able to clear it through some of the work I do. I realized that I didn’t have to live my life from those same values. To a certain extent, this striving got me off track from living my true passion.

Now I am so aware of how every decision in life, and the way we live our lives is in direct relationship to the programming and values imposed on us. Boy what freedom can that bring.. not to be controlled by that!

So my question for you is what internal compass are you living from? How has your early upbringing shaped your identity and led you in directions that are not what you truly desire?

Tips for Living More Authentically

• Evaluate what your internal compass is directing you toward.
• Discover your true identity through clearing out encumbrances and internal programming.
• Be true to your own desires rather than adopting people-pleasing attitudes.
• Develop a personal mission statement that truly drives you.