Rediscovering Your Authentic Self: Emotional Freedom & True Alignment

Originally published:  26 September 2024. Last updated: 12 June 2025.

You were born as your most authentic self — mostly free from programming, trauma, or expectations. As a child, your life was guided purely by curiosity, joy, and instinct. But as you grew, external voices and experiences began layering conditions, coping mechanisms, and fears over your true essence.

Rediscovering your authentic self means gently peeling away those layers. It’s about shedding what no longer belongs to you and returning home to the truest version of who you are.

Uncovering Your Core Values

The journey begins with identifying your core values—the deep truths that shape who you really are. Tools like Dr. Demartini’s Value Determination Exercise can help clarify what truly matters, guiding you to live in alignment rather than obligation.

Processing Emotional Layers with ERT

One powerful way to reconnect with your authentic self is through Emotion Release Technique (ERT). Emotions like fear, shame, and doubt—often rooted in childhood or societal conditioning—can cloud your intuition and create false narratives about who you "should" be.

I've witnessed countless clients experience profound breakthroughs when these emotional layers are cleared. They describe it like finally hearing the quiet, clear voice that’s been trying to guide them back to themselves.

“When you free yourself from those deeply ingrained layers of fear, shame, and doubt, you can finally hear your authentic inner voice—the voice that has been guiding you all along.”

Living Authentically vs. Living from Fear

There’s a profound difference between living life based on subconscious fears and societal expectations, versus living authentically according to your values and desires.

• Fear-based living pushes you away from negative outcomes. It drains your motivation because it’s rooted in avoidance and anxiety.

• Authentic living draws you toward meaningful goals and energises you with clarity, joy, and purpose.

Client Story:

One of my clients had spent years in a career that looked great on paper but didn’t fulfill her. She was constantly motivated by fear—fear of financial insecurity, fear of judgment from her family, fear of being seen as a failure. But once we worked together to process her emotional layers, she realised her authentic passion lay in a completely different field. Shifting her focus to her true goals brought her more joy and ease than she ever thought possible. It no longer felt like she was pushing a boulder uphill because she was now aligned with her authentic self.

Authenticity in Relationships: Attracting Your True Tribe

Authenticity is magnetic. Camille Julia (@camillejulia) beautifully captures this idea:

“The outer world can only see the parts of your inner world that you express. It’s always better to be rejected for who you are than accepted for who you are not.”

Being yourself doesn’t just repel the wrong people—it actively attracts the right ones. Authentic connections nourish your spirit, creating deep, fulfilling relationships.

One idea from the post that truly stands out is: "It’s always better to be rejected for who I am than accepted for who I am not." This couldn’t be truer. Inauthentic connections will always feel hollow, but real ones, founded on truth, are the relationships that bring joy and fulfillment.

Embracing Imperfect Alignment

Living authentically doesn’t mean every relationship, activity, or choice must be perfectly aligned. Life is complex, and it’s okay if some things don’t match your values exactly. What matters most is cultivating enough aligned experiences to feel genuinely fulfilled and free.

Authenticity is not perfection—it’s truth.

Begin Your Journey Back to You

Rediscovering your authentic self is an empowering journey that takes patience, emotional healing, and courage. But the reward is profound—freedom, joy, and deep alignment with who you truly are.

If you're ready to shed layers of conditioning and embrace your authentic self, I warmly invite you to my weekly ERT sessions. You’ll gently clear emotional blocks, reconnect with your inner knowing, and step into your most aligned, joyful life.

Let’s journey back to the real you.