Authenticity
“The core of authenticity is the courage to be imperfect, vulnerable and to set boundaries” Brene Brown
It is human nature to seek out that which is authentic, it’s the same reason we try clothes on before we buy, look at the ethical implications for supporting a certain brand or go on a first and second date before we commit our lives to someone. We do this, because we want to know what we are getting ourselves into, we want to be aware of what’s behind the curtain to protect ourselves from disappointment or pain.
Being authentic in the simplest sense for me means that you are being the purest version of yourself. You’re living your life the way you truly desire. You are true to yourself.
Inauthenticity is anything but. It is living your life on someone else’s value or belief system, or by the demands society places on us to ‘fit in’ or to ‘be normal’. Basically all of the things that we are told to do at school. Youtuber Casey Neistat said it best “ Keep your head down. Follow the rules. Do as you're told. Play it safe. Wait your turn. Ask permission. Learn to compromise. This is terrible advice”
We naturally push back against this advice, at least we do for a while.
When I was younger, I always wondered why ‘adults’ would get a ‘normal job’ why they would go and work for the man, spend 50 hours of their week at a desk, going through the motions, slowly sapping themselves of energy until they lose the will to live. This youtube video ‘happiness’ sums it up pretty well.
It’s funny, 10 years or so later, I completely understand why we naturally go that way. Being your authentic self, running your own race, and standing up for what you believe in is hard. Incredibly hard. The universe is designed for you to succeed and chase your wildest dreams, yet seemingly, society is not. We chastise others for doing well, we talk down about people who are ‘different’ and we throw pot shots at those around us having a crack.
We support celebrities in their new ventures, we buy in bulk, we decide on chains and franchises before we support our friends having a go. Sure we may save a little bit of money off the top, but the real cost is something much more devastating.
The result is an individual giving up on their dream, a local business closing their doors, young professionals, believing those who said they can't, optimistic go getters throwing in the towel and joining the rat race like the video above because their resilience was unable to cope with the constant barrage of frustration and negativity.
I’ve felt it, I’ve come close and I’ve thought that maybe it would be easier to work for someone else, to play it safe, and to turn left and take the road well travelled. The simple way out, one in which I don’t do what I love with incredible people.
I don’t say this for sympathy, or for a ‘you’re doing a great job’ inherently I know this. Through the hard times I know that things will get better. I’m saying this because we all have the opportunity to make daily decisions to support those who are having a crack. Better yet, we have the opportunity to do it ourselves. To put our faith in the universe instead of our society.
Authenticity, is the absence of a hidden agenda. Something I find near impossible to have (it is hard enough having an open agenda) All i’ve ever tried to do is to be authentic. To do the very best with what I have in any given circumstance. To do all I can to do what I love with who I love and to grow that which supports these endeavours.
Sometimes this can rub people the wrong way. Sometimes I probably talk about Virtus too much. But for good reason.
If you ever feel that my brand hustle for Virtus is too much. Take a second to look behind the curtain and think about why it's happening in the first place.
A bunch of people quite literally rely on this place to put food on their table and pays their bills.
I want Virtus to be around for the long haul, to do so it must grow and become anti-fragile.
Mostly, I don’t know what I’m doing. Each day I gain a little more insight into what works and what doesn’t.
We are doing our best, to make the world around us a better place through movement and developmental coaching.
To become the very best coaching experience on the planet, we must dive into the development of the individuals who occupy our space.
If you’re still reading, thanks for taking the time out of your day to dive into these words. I appreciate you more than you know. I hope that this gave you a little insight and helps you chase the shit you love to do and support those who are doing the same.
Be wonderful & Be Authentic.
Wallace.
