What Authenticity Means To Alexa Juanita Jordan & Kiera Russo Pt. 2
Part Two of a conversation with Wild, Cozy, Free's Alexa Juanita Jordan.
Alexa Juanita Jordan (she/her) is a writer and certified life coach. She loves helping people explore and cultivate authenticity through workshops, 1:1 coaching, journaling, and more. As a writer, her work has been featured in Smith and Kraus’ The Best Women’s Stage Monologues of 2022, and she is also a Premiere Play Festival 2022 Semi-Finalist (35/655 submissions).
Her new book, THE START OF IT ALL, is a 20-something’s guide to resilience, empowerment, and authenticity, full of prompts for self-reflection and stories from her 20s. Now available for preorder, and on sale May 3rd at https://www.alexajuanitajordan.com/myshop.
In the meantime, you can also check out her downloadable guided journal, Authentic by Alexa, which outlines her signature coaching process which she uses to help people bridge the gap between their inner and outer worlds.
A few months ago I had the distinct honor to speak with Alexa Juanita Jordan, the author of Wild, Cozy, Free on the concept of Authenticity. If you have not already listened to Part I, please clink the link below to listen.
To abandon authenticity would mean to abandon my pursuit of truth.
In today’s Part II, Alexa and I answer the question of what would it mean to not be our authentic selves. We arrive at all sorts of conclusions, including the dangers of misdirection, the necessity of boundaries, and the challenge of allowing space for difference.
Where we are has everything to do with where we’ve been.
Alexa’s vulnerability, courage, and insight have made our friendship rich with compassion and meaning. She was generous enough to share this space with me, on a gloomy Sunday back in December. Her contributions to our cultural understanding of authenticity are far-reaching and important. Her series, “What Authenticity Means To…” is absolutely worth exploring. She talks to healthcare practitioners, life coaches, and writers alike! Our conversation was the first recorded of her series, and although it took us a while to leaf through what ended up being a two and a half hour zoom recording, we are thrilled to (finally!) share with you this conversation.
Don’t put your authenticity on trial. The only person in that court room should be you.
The episode is explicit, so please be aware when listening to the voiceover. If you’re anything like me, you will throw some headphones on, button up your coat, and go explore the little glimpses of spring around your neighborhood. I would love to hear what you’re taking away from this episode so leave a comment below!
Here are the various sources we referenced throughout both Part I and Part II, including podcasts, tv shows, and a special thanks to all those who lent their wisdom and explained what authenticity meant to them!
NXIVM
A special thanks for the following people for their “authentic” contributions:
Christopher Russo
Cait McCarthy
Quin Earley
Karina Duffy
Aya Geary
Michelle Grundsen
Kara Bittman
Jeanne Russo
Maddie McBride
Kaleigh McCarthy
Bailie Arevalo
Lauren Pizzella
Tara Thayer
Merriam Webster Article: Authenticity as the word of the year
Quote by Prentiss Hemphill: “Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously”.
Quote by Brené Brown, from Atlas of the Heart: “Boundaries are a prerequisite for compassion and empathy. We can’t connect with someone unless we’re clear about where we end and they begin. If there’s no autonomy between people, then there’s no compassion or empathy, just enmeshment.”
I hope you enjoyed this conversation! I will be back next week with a regularly scheduled penny post.
Until then,
Kiera
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