Be the Real You: 5 Reasons to Be Authentic
Do you ever feel like you won’t fit in if you decide to be the real you?
Last summer, I drove eight hours to attend a conference with a large group of talented female writers.
I walked into the hotel where I would be staying on a scorching July evening, and every woman in the foyer looked poised, gorgeous, and entirely put-together. I looked like I’d just run five miles and then hopped in the car and driven for eight straight hours.
Suddenly, I noticed the distance between the woman I sensed I ought to be and the woman I actually am. (Click here to read about this moment.)
Most of us have felt this way.
We walk into crowded rooms, and we wonder where we fit in or if we fit in at all.
I crept around the giant hotel like a woman in hiding throughout those first hours.
When it came time for the conference to begin, I dressed up and made sure I fit in. No one would have known I was the sweaty woman sneaking up the stairwell an hour earlier.
How to Be the Real You
Late in the afternoon on the first day of the conference, I noticed that the women around me looked as tired as I felt. I saw it in their eyes, and I decided to take a risk.
When it was my turn to share my vision and my goals, I did talk about my writing and my vision. I also laughed and told those precious ladies I was tired.
A wave of relief swept over the beautiful faces as the other women talked about their exhaustion, as well. And then it all broke loose. I told them about my writing failures as well as my triumphs. I offered those ladies the gift of sincerity.
In response, the elegant women opened up about their fears and hopes as well. We realized that none of us felt qualified to be there. Most of us assumed everyone was at least one step ahead of us. We were all just kind of hanging on – caught in the delicate space between the women we actually are and the women we think we should be.
Why do we do this?
Why do we ever think God calls us to show up and be anyone other than the women we actually are?
We walk into job interviews, Bible studies, and social gatherings with shaking knees and sweating palms. We wonder if we measure up or belong.
Meanwhile, we were woven together by the Master Creator to fulfill the purposes he designated in advance for us. We won’t fulfill those purposes if we don’t learn how to be our authentic selves.
I walked away with many lessons that weekend. Among the most lasting was this: Be the real you, and you offer the world your greatest gift. #AuthenticSelf #therealyou #bethegift Share on X
5 Reasons to Be the Real You
I carry these lessons with me as we delve into the next venture this summer.
When you learn to be the real you, you free others to be real as well.
In case you’re not convinced, here are five reasons to show up and be authentic:
1. People don’t want to see your perfection; they want to see your authenticity.
Broken people want to spend time with other broken people. And let’s be real: We’re all broken.
Showing up with a facade of perfection might bolster your pride. But it will also push people away.
We invite others to live honestly when we first live honestly ourselves.
2. Vulnerability is a gift.
How do you feel when you can tell someone is being totally real with you? Do you feel honored? Trusted?
Be vulnerable with the people in your life, and you offer a gift. You create a space where others feel safe to be vulnerable as well.
Be your authentic self – and don’t hide your weaknesses – and you invite others to do the same.
3. Be the real you, and you open a doorway to true connection.
Do you want authentic relationships with others?
Let them see the real you.
Share your struggles, pain, and disappointment. We are called to carry one another’s burdens, but we can’t carry burdens we’re afraid to share.
4. Hiding your authentic self is exhausting.
Trying to be anyone other than the person God created you to be will wear you out faster than your fancy shoes wear blisters on your heels.
Do you want the energy to love well and invest in other people?
Don’t use your precious energy to try to fit in. Instead, use your energy to invest in others.
Don’t look for someone to make you feel loved and accepted when you walk into a crowded room. Instead, look for someone you can love.
5. Real strength isn’t wearing a mask; it’s showing up without your makeup.
I’ll never forget the day a friend showed up at our local moms’ group with no makeup and a loose T-shirt that probably belonged to her husband. This woman always wore cute clothes. I’d never seen her without smoky eyes and perfect hair.
She changed my life the day she showed up as her authentic self.
She told us about her horrendous morning and silently invited every woman in the room to let her guard down.
We reached new depths of connection because one woman was brave enough to show up as her authentic self.
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Do you want to make an impact on the world? Offer the world the gift of your authentic self. You will touch hearts and change lives by creating space for others to be real as well.
A Free Devotional to Help You Be the Real You:
I have a gift for you today. Check out my free online devotional Rays of Light for the Dark Days. You will find inspiration to help you embrace whatever God has placed before you. It is yours right here.
These books are free on Kindle Unlimited or available to purchase in print:
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Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
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