I listened to a lot of badass women talk about the power of Authenticity at the Create & Cultivate conference this past February. It was such a strong point that was really the crux of a lot of the conversations, and during this current time, it is such a pivotal conversation that should be had by all – men, women, children – everyone.When people say that “no one can steal your shine”, it really is true. This saying lives within us, and it is with its strong and intentional message that we have to be diligent to not lose ourselves amidst the constant noise and overwhelming social media conversations that consume us daily. It’s tough! And I for one can vouch for that because there have been times where I’ve found myself wading through the constant noise because I want to keep up with it all. But during those times, I’ve also found myself asking, “WTF am I doing this for? This isn’t me”.
Bathing in your own light should not make you weary. It should empower you to constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone, to be whoever it is you are meant to be and to stand in your truth. Being authentic is a measure of the person the world sees – not who they are trying to confirm you to be. Sometimes it is hard to be trusting of our own selves but the truth really lies within us, because when we are honest with ourselves, our values and morals, then nothing can – regardless of how significant it is, can change that. The world is and can be a cruel place especially for someone who refuses to be their authentic self because when people don’t know who they are, they can’t stand for anything with purpose or meaning.Accepting who you are, and showing yourself to the world can sometimes be a tough thing to do because you never know if people will be accepting of you. But I am here to tell you that PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THE REAL YOU. People want to connect with you on a real level because when all the material and superficial things are stripped away, we really are all the same. When people connect, they connect with you, so when you show anything other than yourself, people perceive what you want them to see and in most cases, that person is not the real you. So, check yourself constantly. Ask yourself, “is this me?”
Most recently, #VisaBae made waves after she started a GoFundMe account asking people for donations so that she could apply for her visa. As someone who values the real deal and as a personal brand, what really stumped me was that she portrayed the life of a well-to-do influencer with the Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags but it was all for show. She was “stunting” and “doing it for the ‘gram” and apparently most of the goods she posted pictures with were borrowed from friends. Which led to my next question, if your friends could let you borrow their bags to create this hyped reality, why couldn’t they loan you the funds for the visa? This media faux pas video turned media frenzy of Rutendo begging for funds [yet she left a job willingly because it wasn’t for her] not only made me cringe and feel sad for her but also made me laugh. Why quit a job when you know you have responsibilities? You work to create the life that you want, not beg so that you can continue to do what it is that you do on the backs of other people’s hard work. I’m not sorry, but don’t make your problem someone else’s problem. When you look at some of the major Youtube stars right now, they started out with what they had, but they also worked a hustle life to fund the life they wanted, worked hard and grew the real way and made damn sure not to tarnish their reputation, image, and brand early on.The very honest and important lesson learned here was: don’t misrepresent yourself because people care. Remember, while you are trying to play catch up to other people’s authentic lives, you are wasting time not living your truth. So just STOP IT!! Love yourself enough and give yourself the chance to live a life that’s all you. Live your best life on your terms and bathe in your authenticity because that is your gift to the world.
Have you ever found yourself chasing the life that belonged to someone else? Have you ever quit your job and never had a “Plan B”? What do you do now to fund the life/dream you want? What did you do to change the life you didn’t like for the life you wanted?OOTD: Jeans – Madewell | Heels – Steve Madden | Sweater – Winners | Watch – Michael Kors | Purse – Sister’s Closet | Lipstick – Rimmel London
... S. xo