Are you a genuine person? How would people describe you? As
1) counterfeit, imitative, deceitful, phony, unreal, insincere, dishonest, or
2) sincere, decent, honest, real, true, trustworthy
Bet you chose list two! I know I prefer to be seen as the “real deal.” Being genuine isn’t a given, however. I’ve known many women over the years who tried hard to pretend they were something or someone they weren’t – whether prettier, smarter, richer, wiser, more talented…whatever it was they wanted the world to see in them. Sometimes they faked it so well that they began to believe their own fantasies.
There’s a cost in pretending to be something you’re not, however. For starters, it just doesn’t feel right when what you’re feeling internally doesn’t match what you’re trying to show or be externally. Frankly, it’s stressful trying to maintain a facade because there’s so much to remember! In the same way that it’s easier to tell the truth because you only have one set of facts to recall, so it’s easier to be you instead of a pretend version.
As you can see in elections, however, not everyone wants you to be genuine, to say what you think and believe. Instead, they may want you to be and say what they want you to be and say. It’s takes courage, then, to be consistently real, to be honest, even if it’s not what others want you to be.
On the other hand, you do gain by being genuine. For one, it means less stress and greater inner peace when your insides and outsides are in synch. You’ll experience less emotional and intellectual conflict, and your self-esteem will grow.
Personally, I also think being genuine is also closely linked to how trustworthy other people find you. If they can’t trust you to be consistently one persona, why should they trust you on anything else?
You are enough as you are, and since everyone else is already taken anyway, why not just be you? Be at peace with yourself. Be genuine.