23: Awakening and Stepping Into Your Authentic Self with Sarah K Jones

Curiously You | Who You Are Matters

Curiously You

Episode 23: Sarah K Jones

It’s the 23rd episode of the Curiously You Podcast with Jen Holmes. Today’s guest is Sarah K Jones and we’ll be speaking about awakening and stepping into your authentic self.

What does it look like and what is the process that we go through when we move through this transformation? We particularly look at all of the fears that come up during this shift; like rejection, abandonment and the urge to remain in the approval-seeking cycle.

Stepping into the unknown can be quite scary! Sarah K Jones walks us through her story and provides us with the tools to navigate through the fear in order to become our most authentic self.

You’ll love this episode if:

• You want to find a way to fall in love with your natural way of being
• You find the fears you experience as you practice being fully authentic both challenging and confronting. Sarah K Jones will walk you through these with ease.

[2:41] The Journey of Stepping Into your Authentic Self

The journey to authenticity is fraught with many milestones that we each have to meet; many of which trigger many fears. In Sarah’s journey, moving closer to her authentic self has meant that a lot has been asked of her. Over time, in closer to the person she is meant to be, Sarah has asked herself two key questions:

Why have I behaved the way that I have to date?

How has this behavior served me?

The common fears that tend to come up for people are:

• Rejection: what’s going to change in their inner circle around them? How will close friends and family feel?
• Abandonment: fear of losing friends as a result of changing who you are.
• Seeking approval: wanting the approval of those closest to us can stunt us in our authentic growth because changing ourselves may effect the relationships we have with them.

[5:49] Adjusting to Growth And Resistance to Change

Sarah provides examples of how our bodies adjust and adapt to growth. For example, when someone is pregnant, the body expands, changes and adapts to condition to the growth. In the same way, when you step in to your authentic self, you grow, therefore emotionally, mentally, physically and energetically, the same sorts of adjustments and growing pains occur. The primal fear of the fear of unknown also creeps in. It’s scary not knowing who you are going to be on the other end of the process.

[8:55] The Call to Change

Sarah found there were constant calls for change as she reflects on the environment that she grew up in. Her family served in the military, so their belief systems were very black and white. She names distinct moments how she emerged into her authentic self and the steps she took in response to her intuition.

[12:28] Integrating The Coping Strategies to Change

As a child, Sarah’s coping strategy was to dive into her own little world. She would turn to creativity and exclude herself. She created a universe for herself that felt safe, as she navigated toward finding herself. The second coping strategy was to have friends in her circle that would be a safe extension of that universe she’d created, and provided a safety buffer between her and the world which she felt so freakishly different from. She talks about ways in which she integrated honoring who she truly was into her life. The integration evolved to a shift from protecting herself to actually creating a universe to enjoy with her inner circle.

[20:13] Completeness is where the true you starts to be born

We tend to live a life where we exclude ourselves or detach from the world. This can be a way to protect ourselves. Shamanic traditions encourage acceptance of all parts of ourselves – flaws and all. Completeness is where the wisdom and the enrichment of life lies. Sarah also felt that in order to be comfortable in her life, she had to make others feel comfortable. She unpacks what she went through when it came to people pleasing.

[23:50] The Milestone of Rage

Rage is one of the milestones people can feel when they realize that the way we are currently behaving is no longer serving them. After she turned 27, a shift began to happen. She learned to acknowledge the sadness, anger and fury that was underneath the surface that she had been avoiding and disconnecting from as a result of her external world not reflecting her internal landscape. The rage is a very necessary part of the process, which allows us to really express and feel what has built up under the surface. It’s the stage that propels you closer to the person who’s been inside you all along.

[31:24] Society and Role Models of Authenticity

Society can project values, beliefs and systems that dictate to us on how we should behave. Sarah discusses the challenges around how there is usually no behavior of authenticity to model from in society. In order to find this model, we have to look beyond our circles to find this mentor or example. Sarah uses the example of Madonna – how she is who she is, no matter what. Not only does this inspire you but also soothes the fear of the unknown knowing there is someone who is living authentically and has found success and happiness in doing so.

[33:27] Saturn Return

Astrologically, when you are born, Saturn sits at a certain spot in your chart. It takes approximately 28 and a half years to orbit the sun for Saturn to return to that spot in your chart. For some cases, like Sarah’s, this can happen a little earlier after the 27th birthday. As a planet, Saturn is the authority and when the return happens, a massive transformation is triggered. Issues are resurfaced such as trauma, devastation and parental issues, those which appear are contingent on what needs to be galvanized before the next chapter in life.

[37:54] Understanding experiences as a pathway to completion

The more that you embrace the experiences that you have gone through – good and bad, the more that you come to the realization that everything was as it needed to be for you to become more of who you are.

Key Take Homes

• There is going to be a great deal of resistance to stepping into your authentic self, usually appearing as paralyzing fears, yet the body is amazing at adapting to change.
• In order to be truly authentic we must integrate and accept all sides of ourselves – good and bad, in order to experience completion. Many painful emotions will appear, but this is all part of the healing process.
• You need to find a mentor or role model that has gone before and will help you step with courage into your authentic self.

Curious Question

Can you think of any role models in the wider world who are unapologetically authentically themselves?

What makes you suggest that person, and what can you learn from observing them?

Let me know in the comments!

Resources

Sarah helps Coaches, healers and practitioners to access a deeper space of integrity and substance. She can then use this to identify what your contribution to the planet is and what your innate wisdom is.

Check out www.sarahkjones.com.au and take her quiz for free to discover what your main archetype healing is. This quiz will be free for a limited time.