“You’re either humble or you’re not. If you were a jerk before the fame, you just become a jerk with a bigger spotlight. Whoever you are really comes through.” – Oprah Winfrey
Well? Any answers? Oh, you forgot the question. I closed last time asking how you live behind closed doors? Really, no need to answer, the doors are made of glass. So I can see you. But it is something to think about, however. So, read on.
We can frost, paint, tint, stain, or do anything we can think of to hide who we are. We can paint our windows any which way we like. At the end of the day, it’s still glass and the paint will fade one day revealing what really lies inside, and, glass can shatter at any moment.
So how do we deal with painted glass? Paint it black? Oh, right, we only paint red doors black. Be authentic! Easy, right? So what does that mean? Let’s look at a couple definitions…
Au-then-tic: adjective
– of undisputed origin; genuine.
– true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character
synonyms: genuine, original, real, actual, pukka, bona fide, true, veritable; sterling; attested, undisputed, rightful, legitimate, lawful, legal, valid
Again, easy right?
I don’t know how everyone was raised, but I was taught to be myself. Be honest, open, and true to myself. That sounds like I was taught to be authentic. The difference when I was growing up was that we weren’t in the snow globe yet. I could get away with being a little “fake” here and a little “dishonest” there. Was it right? No, of course not. But it was easier to get away with. At least for a little while.
Today, however, all eyes are on us. Those 20 eyes again, always watching, and yes, even when we are sleeping. Remember that picture you posted on Instagram before bed? That comment you posted on your company page when responding to a customer service question? Or that nasty email you sent out about your manager, the one you accidentally hit reply all after a late night working from home? Do I really need to keep going? By the way, I know you weren’t really working late at night from home, you were binging on NetFlix, we all saw you in the globe!
Your day might be over once your head hits the pillow, but others? They’re watching! If you’re lucky, that’s all they are doing. The reality is, many are watching, lurking, commenting, sharing, liking, disliking, and doing everything else the capabilities of the internet allow.
The solution? Just be real, be authentic, be yourself. It’s the only way to be in this brave new world where everyone has a stage, an audience, a voice, and the balls to use them all. It’s the only way to be period. It’s the only way to be truly happy. Isn’t that what we all really want, anyway? Isn’t that one thing we all can agree on? We can disagree on how we go about becoming happy, but I think we all want to be happy.
Real, lasting, contagious happiness starts with being authentic. Why? Because we all are who we are, period. Embrace it, share it, expose it, and most importantly, be authentically it; you that is!
But, if you want to paint your windows. Go right ahead; just make sure they genuinely reflect what lies inside because you can paint your window any which way you want but at the end of the day, it’s just window dressing. And, if you’re just a jerk, Godspeed my friend, it’s no way to be. Not if you want to be happy.
So don’t be a jerk. Doesn’t matter what you do in life, nobody likes a jerk. And, in the brave new world, painted windows and all, nice guys finish first. Well, they at least outlast the jerks.
Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator
You have to leap if you want to live
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