Don’t Fake It ‘Til You Make It
I want to tell you about the one time I bought an ink cartridge online. Yes I only did this once because it was not a good experience. I searched up the item, verified the model number and placed my order. When my cartridge arrived, it had all the correct numbers and brand name on it, but it clearly did not fit my printer. It was a fake. It’s a good thing I was able to return it but there’s a lot of fakeness in our everyday lives that’s not as easy to return. The friend who always says their life is great, the guy who shuffles a lot of papers at work but never gets anything done, or even our own excuses for the things we do, are all examples of how we live fake lives.
The opposite of fake is authentic. I was trying to buy an authentic ink cartridge. Authentic means the real deal. Being authentic is being true to who you are and what you’re meant for. Research actually shows that higher rates of authenticity lead to healthier happier lives and I would agree. We have so many voices telling us how to be that we often lose sight of our individuality in this area. For example, as an introvert, I need time alone in nature to face the world authentically. You might hate nature or being alone. If you followed what I do, not only would you be miserable, you would not be on your authentic path. Or maybe the company you once loved working for has shifted their focus and you find yourself faking your enthusiasm. Faking it often leaves us bitter and resentful.
Being authentic is being honest with yourself and with others. Do you hate your sister-in-law’s lasagna? You don’t have to lie about it to be nice. That’s actually not nice; that’s being fake. You can be kind but also be authentic. You may discover that she actually makes a pretty mean meatloaf but no one was ever honest enough to steer her in that direction. We hold ourselves and others back if we don’t live in truth.
Being authentic is looking in the mirror and deciding what’s true, what lights you up, and going after those things. Your life should be full of people and things you actually care about. Getting rid of the fake stuff is the only way to get there. Yeah that’s tough to do but the rewards are great, I promise. Maybe it’s true what they say that the truth hurts, but they also say that the truth sets us free…free from living someone else’s idea of a good life or a good lasagna.