Authenticity. Let the word slowly roll off your tongue and see it in your mind, and then think about how this word is applied in our lives. More often than not it is meant to describe works of art, whether it is a painting or a classic automobile, i.e., an authentic Picasso, or an authentic '57 Chevy. Another word used like authentic is Original. Most items of original or authentic quality are valued highly by collectors.
If you had been able to purchase that '57 Chevy when it was new and then kept it in a pristine condition up until today, the value of the car would be ten times or greater it's initial price. If, instead, you let it deteriorate to rust it would be practically worthless. We use terms like "Mint Condition" in our estimation of things like this.
At the time of your emergence into this world, you were authentic and original, for there are no two people the same. Each of us is unique. From the moment of your birth, (or before!), you were highly valued, first by your mother and father, and then by other members of your family. You were composed completely of Love and Bliss. Just the sight of you brought pleasure to each and every viewer. "Presenting" the baby to family and friends was, in the beginning, a daily ritual. A baby signifies renewal and when in the presence of an infant we can feel it, and the feeling is, simply, Love. As the child grows, the original composition of Love and Bliss begins to be covered over by layer upon layer of experience, until, for some, the feeling originally evoked completely disappears.
Thus, the movement of Life as we know it is a movement away from Love, a movement away from the authentic you. The purity you possessed at birth has become polluted by time and neglect. Your value in the sight of others had decreased, and that leads to a decrease in value of how you view yourself, and you search high and low for that happiness that now eludes you. The important thing to remember, however, is that the authentic you is still there at your center, covered over and muffled. A simple journey within leads directly to the original you, removing the wrappings that so mummify you.
Just as you have the ability to restore an antique car to it's original beauty and increased value, so too have you the ability to restore yourself to it's original and highly valued condition. Recognition of your current status versus the authentic You is the first step, and every other step comes automatically.
Love and Bliss lie within you and want only to be shared.
