I used to think authenticity was about rawness, boldly sharing whatever is on your mind. But now I see that it’s about listening, listening to yourself, not being afraid to experience what’s going on inside you, to acknowledge what you truly think and feel and fear and love, without covering it up with defenses. It’s not just about having the bravery to admit your opinions to others, but in having the bravery to admit them within. It’s only in this listening that we can sense which friends feel most safe for our authenticity and share our truest internal world. Because when we do this internal
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