3. The Art of Authenticity

Pretension is our enemy. And insincerity is exhausting, don’t you think? Isn’t it painful to be around fake people? It is for me, anyway. Don’t be afraid to let people see the “real you”, whatever that may be. If they don’t like it, then they’re not worth your time and effort.

When people see that you’re authentic, they see that you’re an honest person. If you’re a trustworthy person, you’d be surprised at what people will entrust you with. If you’re confident enough in yourself, you won’t feel the need to change other people. And when you stop fretting about what other people are doing with their lives, and focus on loving them instead, the nit-picking and condescending judgments will start to leave your thoughts and vocabulary. Stop spending your mental energy on trying to change things you can’t control.

Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Keep your promises, no matter how painful it is. Verbalize how you feel, and compliment those that need it. Don’t be deceptive or manipulative–just be real.