Trying to sell a dance sober:

As you grow in “Self”-awareness, your approach to negative emotions naturally matures. First, you flounder in negativity, alternating between denial and shame. Then, you embark on a well-intentioned effort to transform negative emotions into positive ones, improving yourself so that you become a more successful and lovable person in the mirror of your self-worth. Finally, you can’t help but live true to what is, *whatever* is. You stop trying to buoy yourself with motivation and positive thinking. You open as the lack and the darkness you sometimes feel. You are willing to feel, breathe, and be *everything*, dark and light. Opening in every now-moment, your life is no longer lived as a hope for success and love, but as an unfolding openness.

“What it means to be authentic: - to be more concerned with truth than opinions - to be sincere and not pretend - to be free from hypocrisy: “walk your talk” - to know who you are and to be that person - to not fear others seeing your vulnerabilities - being confident to walk away from situations where you can’t be yourself - being awake to your own feelings - being free from others’ opinions of you - accepting and loving yourself”