In a world where feelings and emotions are best kept under wraps, wearing your heart on your sleeve is looked upon with an air of disdain. Ours is a society embroiled in bling, cash, ego and status. Being genuine or real soon becomes a bit challenging. What does it even mean to ‘be ourselves’ anymore? We are lost in a crowd of cheerleaders for what society deigns relevant or important.

If you’re a woman and have a tribe, make sure it’s filled with truly authentic women. A woman who is confident and genuine is most powerful. You want to know her, you want to be with her, but most of all you want to be her. Charming, comfortable and confident, she knows who she is, where she comes from and certainly where she is going. She carries both – her confidence and her vulnerabilities with the same ease. She has style, grace and kindness that reflect her soul. She makes you feel strong when you’re down but also lets you know when you’re wrong. Authentic women have friendships that last a lifetime. They don’t flip-flop between friends or friendships for convenience sake. When you surround yourself with authentic alliances, you exude happiness and comfort of your own.

So who is she? And more importantly are you one? What sets her apart? Here are a few traits which reflect that she’s the real deal:

She Doesn’t Strive For Perfection: An authentic woman knows that ‘perfect’ is generally, subjective. She rarely tries to mould herself as per the expectations of other people or society. She owns and accepts her flaws but knows her worth. She cares for herself but is not obsessed with stretch marks, sun-spots, wrinkles or scars, accepting them as realities of life. She exudes remarkable self-assurance and inspirational confidence.

She Values Experience And People More Than Material Things: While she may indulge in tasteful preferences, these do not become her priority or compulsion. She values people and relationships above all else. She houses worldly wisdom gracefully borne of rough challenges faced. Spending time with the ones she loves is priceless. She unhesitatingly says ‘I love you’ to friends or family, never taking relationships for granted or take advantage of friendships. She is rarely flippant in her approach to people or careless to their contributions.

She Knows Who She Is, And Doesn’t Try To Mould Herself To Fit Into What’s Popular: Authentic women are popular. She rarely tries to fit into another’s perception of beauty, ideas or standards. Her ideas, opinions and judgement are based on what she believes, not what she is made to believe. She is open-minded and known to compliment more than criticize. She knows what she believes in even if it doesn’t fit into what’s expected, trending or deemed acceptable. She won’t compromise her values or betray her morals to cruise with the right crowd or seek brownie points.

She Has A Healthy Ego: An authentic woman readily admits to her faults or weaknesses. She admires success and worth in others and rarely finds time for superficial insecurities. Her healthy ego is fundamental to her leadership qualities. She’s a secure leader and an excellent team player! What sets her apart is her ability to dig deep, lead with courage and practise empathy across all areas. Hers is the advice you seek, the support you count on and the hug that makes it all go away.

She Symbolises Infallible Character: You certainly cannot be authentic without first possessing a strong sense of character. This simply means you say things you mean, you keep your promises and you choose to stay in a place of integrity in all your dealings. The reason most people trust you is because of your consistency. When you are authentic you take yourself neither too seriously or too casually. Authentic people often display a state of wholesomeness that is incredibly attractive. They are neither afraid to show true feelings nor hold back on them. They are transparent and candid, open and approachable. There is an endearing quality about them that makes them incredibly likable.

She Self-reflects: Authenticity cannot be reached if you are looking outside of yourself, constantly obsessing over ways to live in all the trappings of narcissism. To be authentic to the world, you have to be authentic within yourself. Be unique, individual and real; know who you are and what you’re made of. That comes through self-reflection. Authentic people turn inwards to reboot, recharge and understand themselves and their rightful place in the world, which makes them exude a freedom of will and an empathetic understanding of life.

She Doesn’t Let The World Dull Her Shine: More often than not, she has been through her fair share of struggles and strife, but that has not stopped her from living her life. She finds ways to keep smiling and seeing the world with hope. Accepting that life can be painful at times, she remains in awe of its beauty and mystery. She knows both joy and sorrow, and therefore she knows how to listen and learn.

Authentic woman are undeniably charming, strong, vulnerable and independent. A woman like that is irresistible and just by being in it she makes the world a better place for herself and others. If you know one or are one, the world is indeed lucky and blessed to have you in it!