Sofia and I, in our weekly Abscondo Podcast, discuss what it means to live an authentic life.  We describe the necessary conditions, as well as some of the benefits and drawbacks that might be encountered along the way.  However, it occurred to me that we may not have given a very clear, specific reason for why you would care to take the path less traveled, to explore that which makes you different, and to create a life that is more authentic. Examining our mental models, paying attention to that inner voice, changing the way we live...the process is long and difficult!  So why would you want to do it?

The answer is simple: the long journey to your true, sustainable happiness is the difficult but fascinating journey to your more authentic life.  These concepts cannot be disconnected because the conditions necessary for your happiness must be built around who you actually are, as an individual.  Quite simply, my version of happiness, or the version of happiness set forth by mainstream society, cannot make you happy.  Your happiness is based on living the way YOU were meant to live.

A while back, I wrote that happiness isn't a right, but something that can only be earned when we have done the hard work necessary to acquire the life skills which make true happiness possible.  I wrote this well before we started the podcast, but it occurs to me now that everything we are discussing has to do with, this idea, and all of it is centered on the goal of happiness.  Living in a more authentic way isn't the goal, it is the means to achieve the goal.  

So, yeah, conversations in search of an authentic life is important because your happiness is important.  But please know that we are not talking about instant gratification and we are not offering any easy answers.  Tune-in to the Abscondo Podcast and check this blog for more on the topic of happiness in the coming weeks and months.