What does it mean to live authentically? You must own your actions and ensure that they align with your beliefs and needs. This sounds easy enough, but it can be a difficult thing to maintain when external forces pressure you to do something you're not comfortable with or to be someone you're not.

Many of us have felt that uncomfortable feeling in the workplace. Perhaps you cut someone out of a deal or a meeting because of workplace politics, or maybe you gave that promotion to one manager because that's what your boss wanted you to do, when in actuality, you knew the other manager was the better choice.

Sound familiar? Read this issue of Promotional Consultant Today for ways authentic people live every day.

They help others to be their authentic selves. Authentic people don't expect others to play a role either. They don't make people feel as though they have to fit into a certain mold or to project a certain image to be a part of their lives. Their commitment to being authentic gives other people the freedom to live authentically, too.

They let go of negative people. Authentic people have too much self-respect to put up with people who treat them badly or have ill will toward them, and they have too much respect for other people to try to change them. So they let go—not out of anger, but out of their need to be true to themselves.

They express their true feelings and opinions, even when they're not popular. Authentic people don't live a go-along-to-get-along lifestyle. They're simply not capable of acting in a way that's contrary to what their principles dictate, even if there are repercussions. They prefer not to lie to other people, and they especially can't lie to themselves. This means that they're willing to live with the repercussions of staying true to themselves.

They are confident. Much social anxiety stems from the fear we have of being "found out." We're afraid that somebody is going to discover that we're not as smart, experienced or well-connected as we pretend to be. Authentic people don't have that fear. Their confidence comes from the fact that they have nothing to hide. Who they appear to be is who they really are.

They prefer deep conversations to meaningless chatter. You won't find authentic people gossiping about others or giving their opinions on the latest celebrity scandals. They know all of that stuff is nothing more than cultural trappings, and they choose to talk about things that matter.

They don't complain about their problems. Complaining is what you do when you think that the situation you're in is someone else's fault or that it's someone else's job to fix it. Authentic people, on the other hand, are accountable. They understand that they—and no one else—are responsible for their own lives, so there's no point in complaining.

They make the best out of any situation. Authentic people have a very firm grasp on reality. When things don't go their way, they don't get trapped in denial, and they don't sit around whining about how things should be different. They simply take stock of the way things are and, if there's nothing they can do to change the situation, they figure out a way to make the best of it.

They don't get stressed or upset when someone doesn't like them. It's never fun accepting that someone doesn't like you, but a lot of times that discomfort comes from trying to figure out what you did wrong or how you can fix it. Authentic people don't have that anxiety because they would never try to change themselves to influence someone else's opinion. They accept that other people have a right to be authentic about their own feelings, even if those feelings are negative toward them.

Living authentically is a perpetual challenge that yields great rewards. It's a noble path that you won't regret following.

Source: Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by Newsweek, TIME, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Harvard Business Review.