Thanks Anne, Torn, SD and Hank for your comments. Food for thought.

As I continue to ponder this question - a question that is supremely meaningful to me because I may be making life changing decisions soon based on striving to live an authentic life - I am thinking about 2 other aspects that may tie into what authenticity is.

Could it be that if our behaviors and emotional reactions are dysfunctional because we are influenced by fear (or any of the emotions), then that 'fear' prevents us from living authentically? So, lessening the strong influence of negative emotions on how we live our lives will lead us to knowing ourselves better and accessing our deeper true selves?

I'll discuss the 2nd aspect I'm pondering for another time.