Earlier this month in Virginia, I walked alongside Dundee Lord Provost Bill Campbell and Lady Provost Yvonne Campbell as they participated in the wonderful tradition of the Alexandria Virginia Scottish Christmas Walk Parade. What came to mind as Lord Provost Campbell stopped along the parade route and warmly interacted with children and families was the quality of authenticity.

The crowds clapped and waved as various groups marched with banners, pipes, and drums exuding a collective light of goodwill through the charming streets of Alexandria. Like a white-bearded St Nick, the Lord Provost brought a welcome present of kindness from across an ocean and found in return a gift of smiles and glistening eyes. The occasion was replete with moments of warm hope, a reprieve from the chill of pessimism surrounding many. The authenticity of people sparkled.

You and I share something in common - we stand at the end of another year. We just experienced Christmas Day, and now aim for rest and relaxation on this Boxing Day. But our common thread that binds us together runs deeper than points on a calendar. Looking out my window to the winter afternoon sun shining off the tips of the arching trees, I feel a sense of gratitude and wonderment in what the parade of days ahead may bring.

I know you are reflecting during the season as well. We have seen the twists and turns of life – perhaps experienced the joy of a university graduation ceremony or the disappointment of not being accepted to our school of choice. Maybe we have secured a new post or lost a job. Possibly we have welcomed a precious child into our life or said farewell to a beloved family member or friend. Fear, courage, sorrow, joy – doubt and faith in ourselves – we share these age-old traits. And at the end of the year, and on the cusp of another, we reflect. We turn up the music, click the keys, put pen to paper, and look ahead as authentically imperfect humans trying our best.

As a trustee of the Robert Burns Ellisland Farm and Museum just outside Dumfries, I am struck by the authenticity and unassuming nature of the place. It was at Ellisland that Burns penned Auld Lang Syne. As has been written, the song was influenced by others before him. Still, it was his own – a unique and heartful rendition – and a piece that will be performed countless times around the world at the New Year.

I am confident the backdrop and beauty of Ellisland would have prompted Burns’ reflections. What permeates through the song is a spirit of authenticity and encouragement to reflect upon auld friends. I especially value how throughout the piece, Burns shifts our minds to others such as in the line, “we two have paddled in the stream from morning sun til night.” I believe when he wrote that line that he had in thought or even in sight the River Nith that elegantly runs right next to Ellisland. Of the many parts of Burns that made him so widely popular, one was his authenticity, and we can find that attribute still blooming at Ellisland.

As we consider how we can be authentic, I am drawn to one of my favorite authors and inspirational voices, the late African-America writer, Toni Morrison. She once wrote, “Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.” The first step in being more authentic is remembering we have a pen to define who we are. At the end of the year, we have a chance to pick up that pen and author the definition of who we are and want to be. We should not let others define us! And surely our personal definitions will include the well-being and hopes of another person, group, or entity. The reality is we all have a role, and to be most effective we need to be authentic. That means embracing our weaknesses as well as our talents.

So many around the world in recent times are burdened with hardship, stress, grief, and loss. They have dipped their brushes onto the pallet, mixed the colours of the times, and created works of the heart that are genuine. To me that spirit of human resilience which arises in times of public and private struggle is one of the most inspirational of traits.

Unfortunately, we also witness the opposite of authenticity and integrity. Here in the Washington, DC area, I recognise that with all that makes this area one of the most enriching locations in the world, there can be snake oil salesmen who profit from their bottled products of division, falseness, and deception.

Again, we can choose to be the author of our self-definition. We can be who we wish to be and react as we wish to others. Dr. Brene Brown who is a research professor at the University of Houston, and an author and podcaster, once said, “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

This quote also reminds us we can take that inner truth to address the challenges others face around us. If we have a higher self-esteem or an inner authenticity then we are much more inclined to be passionate in our goal-setting and to set targets to help others.

I sometimes use the Gaelic idea of ‘Tha sinn ann an seo còmhla.’ It means, ‘We are in this together!’ We are part of this parade of voices. We can define how we wish to participate - the banner we hoist, how we write, what we say. If each is authentic to who we are then watch the streets of the parade be ones leading to a healthier local and global community.

Ian Houston is a trustee of Ellisland Farm and an honorary professor and lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Aberdeen.