Authenticity- ubuNtu bethu!

Dr. Garbo Mate describes authenticity as a survival tool that helps one be in touch with their gut feelings by being in tune with their body. Basically, it involves knowing who you are, a sense of being yourself in mind, body, and soul.

He says, "regret over ignoring gut feelings suggests that at some point during your childhood you got separated from yourself. Something powerful happened to you that taught you how not to trust your inner guidance & listen to yourself."

African children live in a society that demonizes their ancestors, teaching them to ignore them.

Our ancestors speak to us through not only dreams. They are part of our collective DNA and life experience. They nudge certain parts of the body, especially your gut, sending strong emotional messages about what to do, what not to do; what is dangerous, what to allow into our personal space and what to keep out. Does something happen to us during childhood that teaches us to ignore these feelings & signs? How did we get separated from our authentic selves and were no longer able to listen to ourselves or indeed our ancestors?

We grow up in families where being authentic is not accepted. We quickly learn that self-expression causes problems in our relationship with our parents whom we know we need. When we are loud, wishing to stand on our heads, and all kinds of other things kids do, we are told to sit down, shut up, and soon realize early that when we express ourselves by sharing our feelings at the time, they threaten our relationship with parents. We learn to ignore & suppress those feelings and develop into self doubting adults continuing the abusive behaviour.

Part of the ancestors' work is to bring you back to your authentic self. They do this by any means necessary, for them to use you, you have to be authentic- this use is what we term your calling to authenticity.

I believe that in ukuthwasa and in life generally, besides learning herbs & divining etc; the process itself was meant to bring you back to your authentic self outside the control.

For some people, ukuthwasa is a process of self-knowledge as they are not in touch with their authentic selves even though they possess amazing abilities. They experience a level of misunderstanding about what they know because they are not authentic in their comprehension of certain things, basing their lives purely on what they have gathered in this world.

If inauthenticity in a person means a disconnect with themselves, this means a disconnect with your ancestors because they are part of you. You are the latest version of your ancestor- do better. You are tomorrow's ancestral guidance to uMdali- live wiser.

Africans believe that no one is here on vacation or born by mistake; everyone has a purpose. You have to be in touch with your authentic self in order for you to carry out what is your purpose in this world.

Without being authentic and in touch with the ancestors who brought you into this world for a reason, your purpose cannot be revealed to you.

Dr. Garbo Mate describes authenticity as a survival tool that helps one be in touch with their gut feelings by being in tune with their body. Basically, it involves knowing who you are, and a sense of being yourself in mind, body, and soul.