How to Be Authentic – Diana, Princess of Wales

The “See Jane Soar” life lesson: the more real and authentic you are, the more people will like and respect you. Love you, even! The successful woman: Diana, Princess of Wales.

She was authentic about her eating disorder, personality, and marriage:

“There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” said Princess Diana.

You’ll probably need less than three guesses to nail who Diana was referring to (and no, it wasn’t Queen Elizabeth – though it could have been! The Queen was a huge influence in Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles).

Here how to be authentic, with lessons from Princess Diana’s life – including bits from her marriage, eating disorder, and self-identity. Believe it or not, her self-identity was sometimes shaky…and she thought she was “thick as a plank”…and, click on Conspiracy? Princess Diana (History Channel) for more in-depth info on her life and death.

How to Be Authentic – Diana, Princess of Wales

1. Face the worst parts. The third person in Princess Diana’s marriage wasn’t her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth. It was Camilla Parker Bowles, who was Prince Charles’ first love, who contributed to the royal divorce, and whom he married eight years after Princess Diana’s death. I don’t know when Princess Diana accepted that her marriage was on the rocks…but the sooner you accept the worst parts of your life, the sooner you can deal with it.

2. Share your experience. It wasn’t just Princess Diana’s fairy tale royal wedding, rocky marriage and personal struggles that made her the world’s most famous Briton. It wasn’t just her charity work or similarity to Mother Teresa. Her fame flourished because she broke through the traditional British habits of reservation, unexpressed emotions, and stoic suffering. Princess Diana gave British people permission to reveal their humanity – because she revealed hers. To be authentic, respected, and liked, you need to share what you really think, need, and want.

3. Admit your mistakes, failures, and regrets. Princess Diana blushed. She called herself “thick as a plank.” She admitted her bulimia, depression, jealousy and feelings of isolation. Princess Diana found an affinity with drug addicts, alcoholics, and abused people because of their honesty and vulnerability. They were real people living real lives, and she was drawn to that. A lesson in living authentically from Princess Diana’s life is to admit your worst traits.

“People thought they knew her because she shared her thoughts and feelings, which no one in her position had ever done before,” said Ingrid Seward, author of The Queen and Di: The Untold Story.

4. Celebrate your achievements! Princess Diana helped modernize the monarchy – which is now more popular than ever before. She increased AIDS awareness, united opposition to land mines, and built charities. She literally touched and hugged the people she met, whether they were physically battered or dying from AIDS.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “Diana taught us a new way to be British.”

Princess Diana didn’t set out to teach Britons a new way to be British. She was simply authentic – which is easier said than done – and was loved by millions because she was real.

How can you spot an authentic woman?

Related posts:

1. Reclaiming Your Personal Identity or Self-Identity – Sarah Ban Breathnach
2. Letting Go of Other People’s Expectations – Maria Shriver
3. Giving People the Benefit of the Doubt – Michelle Obama