How much of yourself do you put out there?
How much of yourself do you put into your work?
Life has its own way of rewarding authenticity over pretense, and it seems to me the issue with the latter is essentially a lack of genuineness. In many cases, it's unintentional.
Picture putting on a glove unfittingly, not fully engaged with your hand. You really can't use your hand well in such a situation, there will be a certain misalignment between the intended and the actual movement.
Authenticity tends to be misunderstood as an invitation to share every thought and feeling without filter.
True authenticity seems more nuanced to me. It involves being honest about who you are while still maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Be Open Yet Hold Your Ground
For example, in professional settings, this could play out as expressing your genuine ideas and concerns constructively, without compromising professionalism or disregarding others' perspectives.
Of course, the line between the two can be blurry, especially in personal relationships, where being true to oneself must be balanced with empathy and consideration for others' feelings.
In many ways, it's a difficult task to align your outer expression with your inner values and beliefs in a world that often values conformity and is layered on stereotypes upon stereotypes.
And breaking free from these constraints requires courage and a strong sense of self-awareness.
The difference between a musician playing technically correct notes and one who infuses the music with their emotion and interpretation is that the latter breathes life into the composition, creating a unique and moving experience for the listener.
It's the personal touch that transforms a performance from mere recitation to art.
There's an aliveness with the latter, passion becomes palpable, creativity flows more freely, value that can't be replicated is created and this resonates deeply with others.
Drowning In Superficiality
For me, I view authenticity more as an antidote to the exhaustion that comes from maintaining a façade, especially in a society that's increasingly dominated by curated social media presences and hinges heavily on superficial personal branding.
Like most worthwhile pursuits in life, I think it's a continuous process of self-discovery and growth that enables one to be more authentic or be more of themselves or put more of themselves on their work.
Especially adults, who have developed a set of ingrained habits and beliefs compared to children who haven't lived or operated from their mind yet.
Now, being our authentic selves doesn't guarantee universal acceptance. In fact, it might mean not everyone will accept and understand us.
But the beauty is it serves as a filtering mechanism, the very act of being genuine attracts those who value you for who you truly are, and this fosters deeper and more meaningful connections.
The point of the matter is authenticity is about finding the courage to be imperfect, to grow and to connect with others from a place of genuine self-expression.
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