I'd never heard the term, but after scanning the article, I think it's trying to get at the idea of reassessing your priorities so that they match up with what it is that
you truly want in life - not what societal pressures or the influence of others tells you that you "ought" to be.
Maybe if all you want is to go on a giant expensive vacation and live in a giant house, then yeah, it's "dumb" and not so plausible... but if what you want is to be genuinely happy in other ways, then it makes perfect sense to me.
If you're climbing ladders to make big bucks because that's what you were "meant" to do, but you'd rather be working at a book store making $10/hr - then maybe you should reconsider what it is that you're doing.
Here's a video that I saw a while ago that I think fits my point fairly well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJCOiegKAlY&noredirect=1
Don't get me wrong - there's something to be said for being pragmatic and logical about your life decisions - but why not aim for that happy medium, that is "working to live" rather than "living to work"?
THAT to me, is an "authentic" life.
My aunt used to be a lawyer. She got tired of the hours and the workaholic lifestyle and is now working at a bookstore and says that she genuinely enjoys going to work each day.
A woman who I work with used to be a veterinarian. She too, got tired of the career based lifestyle and switched her path to become a lab technician and start up a hobby farm and I think she's happier that way.
That's not to say that in order to live for yourself, you'd need to switch from a "career oriented" path to a less career oriented path - you just need to do what is right for you.
I'm struggling with this right now as I near graduation. I've struggled with it throughout my life because I tend to want to appease people and make them happy. I went to high school at a school that for the time while I was there, was ranked as the #1 public high school in the country. I was surrounded by a type A, "climb the ladder" mentality. I loved the school, met quite a few good friends there, and received an exceptional education, but when it came time for college decisions, I came upon some obstacles. I knew that I wanted to go to college and that I wanted to continue to receive a quality education. Yet, I wanted to do what I was interested in, not just go to a college with a better name. When I applied and was accepted to UVA, William and Mary, and VA Tech, and decided to attend VA Tech, I received some subtle backlash from my peers for picking the "lesser" of the three schools.
This is what I consider being authentic to oneself. I picked the choice that fit me, despite the conflicting surrounding interests.
Now as I am nearing graduation, I'm feeling the same internal conflict. I have been on the preveterinary track for 4 years now and honestly do think that I could have gotten into vet school in state with my grades and extracurriculars. But I couldn't bring myself to apply this summer because I still wasn't sold on the idea. I'm finishing out my prereqs because I love to learn and so that the option will still be available to me in the future, but I think that I would be happier taking a different path and I'm now trying to figure out what that path might be.
That was a long winded answer - but no, I don't think that this idea of living an "authentic life" is a stupid one - rather I think that it holds a lot of significance.