How to Be Authentic & Why It's Important

One of the most common ways I see people severely limit their potential and happiness in life is by living as an inauthentic version of themselves.

In fact, this is how most people live…

They build their entire life and identity around the standards and expectations of society and the people around them…

Never taking the time to consider or express who it is they truly are…

What they value…

What their true purpose is…

Or what they believe in and stand for as an individual.

Since you’re reading this…

I’m going to assume that you don’t want the same for yourself and your life.

…and you shouldn’t.

Which means you have to be authentic.

Authenticity is required for becoming successful in any area of your life.

If you’re interested in learning why authenticity is so important…

...and how to be authentic and true to yourself...

Keep reading.

Embracing who you truly are will be the best decision you ever make in your life.

What Is Authenticity?

I truly believe that most people are confused about what it means to be authentic, so let me set the record straight…

Being authentic is not accepting your shortcomings, bad habits, or low standards because that’s “who you are.”

Let’s be real…

Authenticity has nothing to do with sitting on the couch, eating Cheetos, and playing Call of Duty all day.

True authenticity is about being comfortable with who you are while pursuing the best possible version of yourself.

It puts you in a situation where you are no longer trying to meet the standards or expectations of anybody else…

Instead, you’re living up to the standards and expectations you create for yourself.

Don’t be one of those people who makes poor decisions and uses “authenticity” as their scapegoat.

That’s not authenticity.

Challenging yourself to become as great as you possibly can while standing firm in your beliefs and values is.

How to Be Authentic

Being and becoming authentic is a difficult journey for most people.

…and the truth is, most people don’t even really know how to be authentic.

A lot of us were raised to believe we’re supposed to think and act a certain way.

Unfortunately, very few people step outside of this box.

I spent a lot of time doing what I thought everyone else wanted and expected me to do too.

But it wasn’t until I started sharing my real beliefs and authentic self that I gained traction in my life and business.

If you’re wondering how to be authentic…

There are really 3 things you must do…

1. Authenticity Requires a Clear Conscious

We all know the difference between right and wrong.

Do what’s right.

It’s incredibly important for developing your authentic self, and there can be 0 exceptions to this.

If you treat people like crap and make poor decisions…

You will feel like crap … and you should feel like crap.

It’s a lot easier to be authentic when you feel good about yourself.

Part of feeling good about yourself is living with a clear conscious.

If you always feel like you have to hide…

Or if you always feel guilty about the decisions you’ve made…

Presenting the most genuine and authentic version of yourself will not be possible for you.

2. Own Your Mistakes & Fix Them

You are a human, which means you are going to make plenty of mistakes.

There isn’t a single person who is immune to making them either.

But, making a mistake in itself is not the issue when it comes to authenticity…

It’s the inability to accept responsibility and take action to fix the mistake that’s inauthentic.

This just goes back to the point I made earlier…

Making poor choices and pointing the finger at “authenticity” as the reason for acting like a clown is not authenticity…

It’s a shield to hide behind to avoid doing the hard work required to be better.

So, when you screw up…

Which you will…

Own it and fix it.

3. Identify the Core Values That You Stand For and Live By Them

The final thing that true authenticity requires is a set of values.

…and I say this for a couple of reasons.

The first reason being, they give you something to stand for.

Because if you’re not sure what you stand for…

Or if you stand for nothing at all…

Is that real authenticity?

Are you really authentic if there isn’t a set of values that defines what makes you authentic?

Of course not.

That should be obvious.

But, the second part of what makes these core values so important for authenticity isn’t as obvious…

…and it’s this: These core values will help hold you accountable and guide you toward making the best decisions.

This is how you can continue to show up as the most authentic version of yourself.

These values simultaneously act as a framework for what it looks like to be your most authentic self and tool to audit yourself on a daily basis.

Why Authenticity Is Important

Real authenticity is not easy.

It takes a conscious and intentional effort to show up as the best version of yourself every single day…

But it’s worth it for more reasons than you could ever imagine.

“Being authentic” is more than just some fluffy, feel-good saying…

It has a very practical application in life.

Here’s why you need to be authentic…

1. People Trust Authenticity

Whether we’re talking about business or even just your relationships…

People trust authenticity.

Just ask yourself who you’re more likely to trust…

The person or brand that looks, sounds, and acts like everybody else…

Or the person or brand that is unique, and original?

There’s nothing admirable or relatable about the brand or person that’s a carbon copy of everybody else…

When you try to cater to everybody…

People are going to perceive you as vanilla and fake.

Because let’s be real here…

That’s exactly what you will be by concealing your true self and putting out a message or persona that’s the exact same as everybody else.

2. Authenticity Breeds Loyalty

When you’re authentic…

…and when you stand for something you truly believe in…

There are going to be a lot of people who resonate with who you are and what your message is…

…and there are also going to be a lot of people who don’t.

That’s okay…

Because even if your message or who you are doesn’t resonate with everybody…

You don’t want it to.

When you try to serve everyone … you end up serving nobody at all.

This is especially true in business.

Trust me when I say you would much rather have 50% of people who trust you and love you…

…while the remaining 50% of people don’t like you or hate you…

Than 100% of people feeling indifferent about you or your brand.

Even though authenticity is going to turn people away from you or your brand…

It’s also going to create a strong sense of community and loyalty amongst the people who do resonate with you or your message.

This is the 50% of people who are going to show up and support you no matter what because they are loyal.

In business, this loyalty is what insulates you from your competition.

I like to use Harley-Davidson as a phenomenal example of this.

Their image has created a culture so strong that even if their competition makes a better bike…

Harley has such a dedicated following that they wouldn’t even consider riding anything other than a Harley-Davidson.

Does everybody like Harley-Davidson?

Of course not.

But of the people who do like Harley-Davidson … they don’t just “like” Harley-Davidson … they love it, and support it for life.

You can create the same traction and community around your business or personal brand as well…

It all starts with authenticity.

3. Authenticity Is Required For Happiness

You can’t feel good about yourself if you go through life as an inauthentic version of yourself because you’re always going to feel like a fraud.

How would you like to spend every day worried that someone is going to expose you for something you’re not?

That’s what it can feel like when you conceal who you truly are…

Or worse, by trying to be a version of somebody or something else.

It’s an awful strategy for life because everybody will view you as the cheap knock-off.

It’s also inauthentic by design. Trying to be somebody else is not trying to be YOU.

Look, there’s nothing wrong with having influences…

We all have people we look up to and would like to emulate in some way.

But there’s a huge difference between copying someone and using aspects of others to inspire the best version of yourself.

Everyone can tell the difference between a fake and the real thing.

You have to come to terms with yourself and start expressing yourself as who you are.

Life is too short to go through it not being who you are.

Coincidentally enough, it’s also the key to becoming successful in business and life because people are going to love you for who you are.

Start Living With Authenticity

You aren’t going to be for everybody.

Ditch that expectation and start being who you truly are.

Not only are you going to feel better about yourself instantly…

But this will also attract the people and relationships that are going to matter most.

…and if you’re in business…

Nobody is going to shop with or trust a brand that’s a carbon copy of something else.

Stand for what you believe in.

Don’t conceal the real you.

Be authentic.

I can’t even begin to express how much better your life will be when you take this seriously.

So do it.