Get Real

I decided to expand a bit on my recent posting “Alter Ego” and discuss being authentic. What does being authentic really mean? In gritty terms, it is exposing your sh*t to the rest of the world. It is not being afraid to look the way you really look, act the way you really are and do the things that matter to you. It does not mean acting like an a$$hole, being destructive or harmful to yourself and others. Those things are in total opposition to being authentic. They might even be a way to avoid being real. Addictions are often a cover-up for facing painful emotions. Billie Holliday was quoted as saying “Smoke, drink, don’t think”.

Being authentic is being bone-deep happy with yourself.

Most people don’t know how to get there. So, if you had all the time, energy and money you needed, what would you do with your life? That will at least identify what excites you. So how do you do these things given the time, energy and money you do have? I work full-time, have a home and love spending time with my sweetie. I also like to write. Many years ago I was in a writers group and the theme for writing a book was “a page a day”. That does not equal to a huge time suck. It takes me about 20 minutes to craft these blog posts. Just sayin’.

You might also look at areas in your life that are a total time-waster. How much do those things matter? If you quit doing them, or said no to requests, would there be awful consequences? Probably not. Unless you are performing open heart surgery. If you gave these things up, how much time would you gain to do the things that make you smile?

You only have one life and you should fill it up with the things that matter. Think “a smile a day”.