Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) DEC 2016 / JAN 2017 Aspire Mag Full Issue A Miracl | Page 44

to Live COURAGEOUSLY and AUTHENTICALLY BY SHEILA CALLAHAM I f there’s one thing I’m convinced of, it’s my belief that daily joy and happiness is exponentially increased when one key factor is met — authenticity. Showing up in the world as I am requires courage. Walking my path, my way, requires courage. Living from the inside out requires courage. How did I find the courage to live authentically? I learned to activate my inner Braveheart. Growing up, I was frequently exposed to behavior that led me to believe that what other people thought about me was more important than what I thought about myself. I can’t say how it happened, but I recall as a teenager thinking how silly this belief was. Somehow I knew that my personal thoughts and feelings were more important to how I lived my life than what others thought. 44 www.AspireMAG.net | December 2016 / January 2017