Being fake is one of the single most unattractive things in this world. I’m not impressed by people who try to act like something that they aren’t, the same goes for brands, personalities, and companies too. Authenticity is what impresses me, show me your flaws and your soul and we’ll be golden. I respond the best towards people, brands and companies that show an authentic side to themselves, they’re passionate and give a shit about their customers or followers. Authenticity is one of the quickest ways to get people to like you. Contrary to what many people believe, trying to please everyone will end up having everyone dislike you because you’re always trying to be someone else. Authenticity is one of the essential characteristics that will take you from being a sprint runner and turn you into a marathon machine. Authenticity holds our attention for far longer than your weak pandering.
I do my best every day to be authentic, to me it is really important. When I started writing, my big goal was to NOT please everyone, I’ve learned over the years that it’s impossible. Instead I decided that I would be authentic, talk about things I’m passionate about, open up about the highs and lows, and do my best to be my real self. I’ve done the whole fake thing, trying to pander to everyone, to get everyone to like me but what ends up happening is people see the charade and start to grow to dislike you, you always tend to feel cut rate and unsatisfied. The worst part about trying to please everyone is that you end up never pleasing yourself. Authenticity shows the world who I am and if you don’t like that then go fuck yourself, I don’t care, frankly I probably wouldn’t like you either. My writing isn’t for you but for every person that dislikes the things I talk about or how I talk, there are people who connect with the words that I use. I know I can be abrasive and swear a lot but that’s who I am, it’s never going to change. Presenting who I really am is both terrifying and therapeutic for me and my intentions have always been to write for myself. I use writing as a tool for growth and if I can help people along the way then it’s all the more rewarding. I’m not ashamed of who I am or who I was. My faults make me who I am, perfection is a fallacy, boring, and it’s ugly. Imperfection is beautiful and interesting. Authenticity is at the heart of what makes us interesting and exciting.
The people, companies, and brands that I follow the most are the ones who are authentic to themselves, their purpose, and their followers. I find it of no interest to invest my time into something that isn’t authentic to itself. What’s the point really? I don’t want you to pander to me, I don’t want you to try and please me and everyone else in the world. I want you to be you, I like you, I like your soul, hell I could even greatly disagree with your message but if you’re authentic I’ll listen, consider, and respect you. Heart and soul, two powerful words that just mean authenticity. Bare your soul and you’ve got a follower. Authenticity is one of the most appealing traits of a successful business or an interesting person, it’s what brings in dedicated consumers and followers, it’s also what keeps them around for a very, very long time.
One of the biggest problems I see with people and brands is that they try to be everything to everyone, it doesn’t work. The biggest guarantee of failure in life is trying to please everyone. Being authentic is the key to growth and success, it doesn’t matter if you are trying to launch a business, interview for a new job, talk to a friend, sell a product; none of that matters if you aren’t being yourself. Authenticity keeps us grounded to the world, it keeps us humble, it keeps us vulnerable, and the rewards for all of those are plentiful. Be authentic, show your heart and soul, and I guarantee you will be happier and more people, the right people, will like you to the ends of the Earth. Don’t fake it, be yourself.