This is the second in a three-part series on practicing authenticity in daily life. Today’s post looks at authenticity through the lens of VIA character strengths. Part 1 explores authenticity through the chakra practice of Let Your Yoga Dance. Part 3 will bring inSPIRED Let Your Yoga Dance into the mix.

When I began studying positive psychology almost five years ago, I learned about the VIA (Values in Action) Institute on Character and the VIA Classification of Character Strengths. With the support of Dr. Neal Mayerson, VIA was created by Martin Seligman and the late Chris Peterson, based on their extensive study of which positive qualities were most powerful across cultures, ages, genders, social stratum, etc. They came up with 24 character strengths, and their model is now used throughout the world—by individuals, schools, businesses, and corporations. (To get a free report on your top strengths, take the 15-minute test).