Authenticity, The inside Job

Who are you in a world that is continuously engulfed in the waves of conformity? 

In which direction are you taking on water? It seems nearly impossible to live in this waterfront town and not be affected by the ocean. So grab your oar, life vest, floaties, bathing suit, or whichever gear fits best and let’s dive in! 

I have been mulling over this subject of authenticity all month long and, to be frank, I have found it to be more difficult to communicate then I expected. I’m struggling to put into words the thoughts that flood my mind about this topic, but I will try my best, thank you for wading in with me.

I’m currently knee-deep in this incredible book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, in which he presented me this question, “Who do you need to become?”. To put it into context: he was discussing how we write down lists of wants, desires, and goals, that are all outward. The qualities we want in our spouse, what our dream job looks like, what our homes and families will be like, you get the picture. He proceeded to commend the reader for the avidness of planning the future as he admittedly did himself, then the sonic boom question exploded, “Who do you need to become in order to have the character to obtain such things?” 

P A U S E. 

You mean I don’t just get to rattle of my dream life and then it just comes to me??? Bummer. 

And me, the authenticity girl, read that question, “Who do I need to become?” from an entirely negative lens. What do you mean? Who I am is enough! 

Then I cleaned my lenses and read again.

The second time was much better, much clearer. WOW! I actually agree and like it. While all our wants, needs, desires, and goals are great and we need them, we must also take into consideration who we must become to attain the things we are pushing toward.

Personally, I have some pretty big desires and goals I am working toward and I know if I were to get them today I wouldn’t be entirely ready to handle them. Especially because I want to do everything I do well. This means that growth is this slow, sometimes painful process that has to happen as I continue to become the realest, best version of me. 

Let’s think of this beautiful society we live in as a big, vast ocean with a multitude of unique living organisms. With the beauty of the ocean comes darkness in the depth, riptides, pollution, movement, and much shared space. And I believe there are three postures you can take in the ocean. 

1- Those who go against the current who constantly fight against the waves. You fight to gain distance, you struggle to breathe and, no matter what you try, you take on water through every wave.

2- Those who ride the wave and let the water carry them where it decides. 

3- Those who tread through the water "sideways" along the shoreline. They never get too far into the ocean, the sandbar stays pretty consistent and flat, and the shoreline is a small skip over. 

What posture are you taking in this ocean?

Thank you for reading. 

See you next Tuesday.