An authentic life

au·then·tic (ô-thntk)
adj.
1. Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief: an authentic account by an eyewitness.
2. Having a claimed and verifiable origin or authorship; not counterfeit or copied: an authentic medieval sword.
3. Law Executed with due process: an authentic deed.
4. Music
a. Of, relating to, or being a medieval mode having a range from its final tone to the octave above it.
b. Of, relating to, or being a cadence with the dominant chord immediately preceding the tonic chord.
5. Obsolete Authoritative.

I think I don't like the word "authentic" when used to describe one's life. If you are living it, it is authentically yours. You own it and you are responsible for it.

Even if you don't want to be. Even if you want to blame your choices on your mother, or your FoO, or circumstnaces or fate. You are the one that makes the choices, for whatever reasons you have, and, then, is forced to live with the outcomes.

They are still your choices and your actions.

I prefer to use other adjectives to define my life. "Honest" and "happy".

I want to be honest with myself AND honest with those I encounter. And I want us all to be happy. When I hit hard parts is when honesty will cause unhappiness. I HATE those bits. Eventually, though, honesty wins out.

And I live with it.

Authentically. Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief.