I had a wonderful opportunity to present to a group of women earning their MBA and law degrees recently at a day long professional development workshop. As the guest speakers discussed a variety of topics from leadership and personal brand to professionalism, one theme was consistent throughout – be true to yourself.

Authenticity is the ability to be genuine and sincere with your intentions. All too often we make career decisions based on what others want us to do, or what we think they want us to do. Many of my clients and students have shared that they pursued practical professions because their families encouraged them to do so. While I believe families and support systems are important, ultimately the decision about career pursuits should be yours alone.

As the self assessment process reveals, getting in touch with your values, interests, personality, and skills can help you discover career opportunities that truly match your authentic self. The realities of this job economy often force us to take stop-gap jobs in order to make ends meet but never lose focus of your career dreams and continue to work towards those goals.

Think about how you want to show up in the world and how you want the world to see you. Most often, our personal and professional values alignment are close. Have the courage to be true to yourself and trust your gut.

The philosophical movement of existentialism has studied authenticity for centuries and helps us understand more about what authenticity is, along with its relationship to the concept of meaning. Existentialists assert that if an individual is not living authentically in their lives, then they lose meaning and can fall into chronic anxiety, boredom and despair. We spend a large portion of our waking hours on the job so you deserve to be happy in your career.

Muster the courage to make authentic career choices that are meaningful to you. If you can align your values, talents, and vision you can unleash a powerful Trifecta that will lead you towards career satisfaction.