Dear friend,

Authenticity is your power.

Most define themselves by adding: more knowledge, skills, or performance.

But authenticity only comes from removing what you are not.

But what does that really mean?

Let's find out.

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What does authenticity mean?

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The Duden dictionary defines it as:

But when are you truly real?

That’s a question mystics have explored for centuries.

Let’s break it down:

You have two parts:

1. Your conditioned self: Your beliefs, identity, personality, and everything you've learned from past experience.
2. Your unconditioned self: Your essence, soul–the part of you untouched by experiences or knowledge.

The challenge?

• Your conditioned self feels real—but is merely a learned program.
• Your unconditioned self is real—pure and timeless.

If you disconnect from either one, you are inauthentic:

• If you only identify with your conditioned self, you believe you're just your ego, achievements, and struggles. You live on autopilot, chasing success, battling fears, and never feeling at peace.
• If you only identify with your unconditioned self, you fall into spiritual bypassing—believing you’re beyond all 'human' concerns, pretending everything is “light and love.”

Both parts are real. Accepting both is the key to authenticity.

That’s the being dimension of authenticity.

But waking up is only the beginning.

The process of becoming (more) authentic

Authenticity isn’t only a realization; it’s an ongoing process—of becoming more real.

This is waking down—bringing authenticity into everyday life.

Instead of reacting from fear and old patterns, you start aligning your conditioned self with your true nature.

Your choices, actions, and habits shift.

Over time your conditioning aligns (more) with your essence.

This is the becoming dimension of authenticity.

Authenticity & your place in the world

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Here’s why authenticity is the key to freedom, peace of mind, and aliveness.

You can't have one without the other.

Here’s the choice:

1. If you live primarily from your ego (inauthentic self):

You reduced yourself to the fear-based mechanism we all share. There is fundamentally no differentiation whatsoever in its mechanical way of coping with and reacting to life. It's the same autopilot with different expressions.

That's why you believe in getting your place in life; you must compete or eliminate your equally mechanical competition. Or you don't even try and hide.

Result:

• You compete and struggle to prove yourself.
• You rely on performance to gain recognition.
• You constantly chase more success, money, and validation.
• You live in a pressure, force, and exhaustion cycle.

2. If you primarily live from your essence (authentic self):

You lean into your uniqueness, gifts, talents, and qualities and focus on creatively sharing them with the world. You follow unconditionally what you love and bring something new into the world.

Result:

• Your path reveals itself naturally, without struggle.
• Competition stops—because your uniqueness emerges.
• Your contribution becomes clear—you naturally fit into the mosaic of life.
• You experience flow, momentum, and presence.

This is not theoretical fluff.

It points right to what brought me back to life and many others I worked with.

It is the core of my work:

Principle #1: Your natural expression

You, like everyone, possess unique gifts and the innate ability to express them fully—while being naturally supported by life in doing so.

That's when your spirit thrives, and you unconditionally live your life.

I've not been proven wrong so far in my 6th year as a coach.

The big question: How can you do this?

Being authentic isn’t just private introspection—it’s about living your truth in the world.

So how do you do that?

Authenticity through subtraction

Principle #2: The chisel, not the stone

When Michelangelo was asked how he carved the statue of David, he answered:

Authenticity isn’t about adding more—it’s about removing what’s false.

Exercise: As yourself, these simple questions:

What is your 'David' within?

• What unique gift do others see in you?
• What perspective do you have that others don't?
• What do you suppress to fit in?

What's the stone covering you that needs to be chiseled away?

Instead of listing what you should do or be more of, ask:

• What can you leave out?
• What coping mechanisms keep you in hiding?
• What behavior and circumstances are not needed?

Authenticity is not about becoming more—but doing less to be more YOU.

Principle #3: Your inner compass

Authenticity comes from clarity about your non-negotiable values.

Exercise: Answer these three questions:

1. What am I refusing to compromise, even for success?
2. What impact do I truly want to create?
3. How do I measure a fulfilled life – beyond money or recognition?

Authenticity is reflected in what you say YES to but especially in what you say NO to.

The path to authenticity is a process of removal

Authenticity is not a goal; it's a destructive process until only your true self remains.

Some teachers call that process enlightenment:

That does not sound too compelling to the ego, which wants 'rewards.' 😉

But it enables superior outcomes beyond egoic desire:

Peace of mind, freedom, and aliveness.

And real love as the unconditional embrace of what is.

So, what’s one thing you do less to be more YOU?

Let’s create together,
Simon

PS. Whenever you're ready, there are three ways I can help you:

​#1 Check out my podcast. You'll learn how to live a free and genuinely inspired life from thought leaders.

​#2 ​Join my 7-week training, The Art of Creating 1​. You'll master intuition, creativity, and manifestation. And create a life you love.

​#3 Work with me as a coach. I help you apply proven principles to thrive in life and achieve your goals with ease.