The best thing about being truly authentic is that you have no competition.

One thing I’ve learned after being active on social media for over 8 years, there’s very few truly original people.

I've had competitors for decades try to do what we do, only slightly better. If never works because they lack ingenuity, innovation, vision, and acumen.

There's people on this platform that plagiarize my articles and emulate my videos. Some get reach, but they certainly aren't original.

Authenticity requires a certain measure of vulnerability, transparency, and integrity. That’s very difficult for the average person, especially today when critics have the luxury of hiding behind their computers and spew their vitriol of hatred.

I recently made a video where I discussed the relationship between hard work and authenticity. To be authentic, we need to do the hard work of personal, relational, professional, and emotional self-improvement. Many people are deficient in several of these areas, and their authenticity suffers as a result.

It's impossible for a leader to be great without authenticity, and yet most are doing the ultimate kabuki dance trying to convince everyone of their competence, confidence, and poise. It’s often a facade.

To be authentic, we need to clearly define values, and our actions need to support those principles every day.

Research has been conducted at Harvard, Columbia, and Northwestern Universities that studied the effects of being “inauthentic”.

Their conclusion. People drifted in the direction of being more uncomfortable about moral virtues that often cause people to embrace causes, crowd pleasing, and performances that create the illusion of authenticity.

Living this lie is emotionally painful and has severe consequences, and yet many people embrace the deception of group identity in favor of the hard work associated with discovering “real” authenticity.

Authentic people practice great habits that enable them to harness their authentic self through hard work, discipline, and dedication.

"Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free."

--ECKHART TOLLE

To be authentic practice 9 habits every day for excellence:

TO BE AUTHENTIC PRACTICE 9 HABITS EVERY DAY FOR EXCELLENCE:

01. BOUNDARIES

Creating authenticity requires setting firm boundaries and refusing to associate with negative people and toxic individuals. In addition, authentic people let go of the past and set boundaries with demons that drag most people into incessant rumination. They don’t waste energy on futile endeavors.

02. CLARITY

Authentic people have well defined values, and they refuse to deviate from their principles. They don’t follow crowds, trends, or acquiesce to peer pressure. They stand firm on their convictions and are crystal clear about their purpose.

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."

-- E.E CUMMINGS

03. CONFIDENT

Most people struggle with being discovered. They lack authenticity so they spend their life pretending to be something they aren’t. As a result, bravado, arrogance, and massive egos create the impression of confidence, but it’s a façade. Authentic people are truly confident, because they do work that builds genuine confidence.

04. STRONG CONNECTIONS

Authentic people value genuine connections and surround themselves with quality friends. They don’t have time to fraternize with people who thrive on innuendo, third party conversations, and gossip. They stay connected with exceptional people and refuse to waste time attempting to fit in with the ordinary crowd.

05. DISCERNING

Authentic people have learned to trust their intuition and it’s normally spot on. When you spend your life adhering to your values, you don’t make dumb decisions that get most people into trouble. You recognize unhealthy relationships before they begin. You walk away from bad business deals and don’t follow the poor advice offered by the crowd.

06. SOLUTION FOCUSED

Complainers, people that hurl blame, and anyone preoccupied with making excuses is always focused on their problems and it’s always someone else’s fault. Authentic people are focused on solutions and always take full responsibility for every situation. Why waste time whining when we can make improvements.

07. MOTIVATED

Authentic people don’t waste time seeking motivation every day to find the energy to get big things done. Their motivation is internal. When we focus our energy on cultivating purpose and passion, we find the drive to stay focused on our dreams and motivation never lacking.

08. AGILE

Authentic people are flexible, agile, and adaptable. They response to adversity by being proactive and stay focused on their response. They don’t let circumstance overwhelm them and they are able to finesse around enormous obstacles.

09. DEFLECT CRITICS

Authentic people don’t get easily offended. They understand their creativity and success will bother some people. They understand that some people are so afraid of being bold, they criticize instead. That’s how critics attempt to build their self-esteem, by pointing out someone else’s shortcomings. They try to become relevant by challenging people, instead of accomplishing something meaningful. They don’t take negative feedback personally and dismiss overly critical people that are clearly unhappy, jealous, triggered, or envious.

"Authenticity is more than speaking; Authenticity is also about doing. Every decision we make says something about who we are."

-- SIMON SINEK

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