How to Empower Yourself Post-Election
The topic of authenticity is hard to write about because when you think you have it one day the next day you find yourself trying on someone else’s life. You find yourself longing for a new look and a new experience.
Synonyms for authenticity include accuracy, credibility, truthfulness. These are all attributes that we would like to think we are worthy of but shortchange ourselves in an attempt to be more like other people.
Why?
In my own life, it has come out of dissatisfaction with my choices, apathy towards my life, and boredom. The reasons why I don’t attack these pointless emotions head-on is out of laziness and procrastination. But these are habits I have the power to change.
I will get better tomorrow.
I will read that book tomorrow, workout tomorrow, get more sleep tomorrow. It is always tomorrow, a tomorrow that never seems to provide the time or oppurtunity to do what was put off. Out of disappointment with myself I then have to fake accomplishment, contentment, and the future.
Faking the future sucks because sooner or later the future becomes the present and I am forced to make another choice to either level with myself or continue to fake it, suffocating my authentic self.
The solution. Make a decision.
1. Decide — Decide today that you are uncomfortable trying to be someone you are not. It’s exhausting and unproductive because at the end of the day you are left with you. Deal with you today and not tomorrow.
2. “Fake it till you make it” is an illusion — There is no such thing. Do you receive real or fake money when you fake productivity? Do you feed your kids with fake success? Can you make your dreams come true by faking activity that leads to success? What if you decided not to fake things and actually went all in on the real work, that leads to real results, that lead to real success?
3. Put on the blinders — A lot of people say a lot. Asking questions and researching everything is great but what would happen if you were committed to listening to your passions, building a plan, and executing on it? Blinders will help you block out the noise that comes with life. You are Rocky Balboa and it is just you and the mountain of stairs to climb. You see the stairs and you know what you have to do. Asking someone how to climb the stairs will only feed your need to procrastinate, just get to climbing.
Authenticity is hard to talk about if the truth is hard to hear. What if today you embodied those qualities of truthfulness, creditability, and accuracy?
No faking it. Go head to head with your dreams.
