Are you showing up as the authentic you?

I’ve been writing weekly blog posts for a long time, and creating various motivational memes as well to accompany those posts or to stand alone. You might receive them in your inbox, read them on my website or on Thrive Global where I am a contributor, or maybe on one of the many social media platforms we have these days. It’s not enough to want to lift and inspire those around us anymore; it’s about posting and clicking and sharing and so on.

Frankly, keeping up can be exhausting. It is for me at least. Other thought leaders may think I’m crazy for admitting it and prefer to convey a high level of constant attention, focus and enthusiasm. I on the other hand prefer to be authentic about it. I’m not an automaton and sometimes I want to completely disconnect from media outlets.

I enjoy connecting with my clients, however I may coach them, as just another person. For example, last week I told a couple of fitness clients that my mind wanted to eat vegetables but my body was saying PB&J sandwich. Each one looked at me like that was an impossibility. Like somehow as a fitness coach I had warded off all temptations in life and that wellness comes really easy. I laughed a little. I’m not a food super hero I’m just better trained at redirection, and not every time.

This is what I mean when I talk about being authentic. You are more credible and relatable when you let people know that you have struggles, too. When you allow the true you to show you are telling people that you are secure with who you are. To be clear, I do not mean be hypocritical.

How are you showing up to the people around you? Lead by example but know it is okay to be an imperfect human. When you do your best to release personal judgment and standards of perfection people will still believe in you, and meet you back with more authenticity rather than a projection of what they think you may want.