Throughout this summer, I've been trying to educate myself on authenticity and how I can be more authentic in a world that is often consumed by judgement, comparison, and public appearance on social media. Little by little, I have tried to be more honest, embrace my true self, and post pictures that express the real me. I've not been perfect in my efforts, but encouragement helps keep me on track. Motivational words from others can have such an immense impact on our minds and can help us reach personal goals.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes that inspire authenticity:

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation."
- John Wooden

"Be weird. Be random. Be who you are. Because you never know who would love the person you hide."
- C.S. Lewis

"Keep good company, read good books, love good things, and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can."
- Louisa May Alcott

"If you are your authentic self, you have no competition."
- Scott Stratten

"Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are."
- Brene Brown

"Confidence is not 'They will like me.' Confidence is 'I'll be fine if they don't."
- Christina Grimmie

"Seek to be worth knowing rather than be well known."
- Sandra Turley

"No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else."
- P.T. Barnum

"Comparison is the thief of joy."
- Theodore Roosevelt

"What is right is not always popular, what is popular is not always right."
- Albert Einstein

I hope one of these quotes leaves you inspired! Be kind, be brave, and be authentic.

-M