Have you ever tried doing a silence fast?

I know you're wondering what a silence fast is. A silence fast is exactly what it sounds like – practicing silence. If you are ready to stop reading, don't. Give me a chance!

Many different cultures have used silence fasting to provide a sense of grounding. Stop just for a moment and listen. What do you hear? I can hear my refrigerator running, my fingers hitting the keyboard, and a dog barking in the distance. Now try closing your eyes. Do you hear even more things?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel less than great. Crabby, grouchy, sad, and bored are all words you could use to describe what I’m like in those days and I’m probably not the best company. The thing is, days like those are part of the deal with being human – it’s not an elective. There will always be off days, and that’s okay.

But what happens when you get a whole string of those off-days, maybe lasting weeks, months, or even years? Too many of us say that we’re in a rut, feel stuck, burned out, or bored, and admit that we don’t want things to be that way, but we don’t know what to do to change. That’s the problem, when you’re in a rut, you don’t have the energy or motivation to change things for the better, and it’s tough to find the insight or resources you need to make that jump.

Here are two fun and easy ways you can use right now to climb, or better yet, leap, out of the rut and start to get something better for yourself.

I get in moods where I just want to get rid of all the extra things and stuff I have accumulated. I feel the weight of all the excess, and I want to simplify, clear out, and clean out. I moved to North Carolina just over 4 years ago. Preparing for that move meant getting rid of a lot. I only took with me what would fit in my Trailblazer.

Since that move from Nebraska to North Carolina, I've moved a total of nine times! Yes, nine. There was no intention of moving after that initial move, but life happens and circumstances change.

I just passed the year mark of living at my current place. A year! It is the longest I have lived in one place during the last four years.

We all have an ideal version of ourselves that we aspire to be. Maybe you want to be thinner, richer, or more successful. Or, maybe you just want to be happier and more fulfilled. Whatever it is, there's often a disconnect between who we are and who we want to be. This gap is what psychologist Dan McAdams calls "the authentic self." So, what exactly is the authentic self, and why is it important?

Keep reading to find out.

What Is the Authentic Self?

The authentic self is your true identity—who you are at your core. It includes your values, beliefs, and motivations. Importantly, it's also dynamic, which means it can change over time as you grow and evolve. Unfortunately, many of us never take the time to get in touch with our authentic selves. We allow our lives to be controlled by outside forces like our jobs, families, and society. As a result, we end up living inauthentic lives that aren't aligned with our true desires and passions.