Mule

Authenticity is a lie. Ok, that's an extreme way of breaking down my point. I don't usually say things that needlessly blunt so I wanted to try it. It felt good! I'll keep going. Authenticity is a distraction. (That's more like it.) For every "born to do it" or "my great grandfather was a..." there's 100 "fake it till you make its" Authenticity the way most explain it is a distraction. Now let me describe the way I most often hear authenticity described. This part is very important and should be read before any furious button pushing goes off topic.  The distracting type of authenticity is the "my great-grandfather was a rancher, my grandfather, my father and now so am I." If that is actually someone's situation I'm sure there is amount of pride in that, and there should be. But it's distracting. It somehow became the gold standard for anyone who has ever done anything. The neighbor next door who's dad worked in a factory started a ranch and coined the phrase, "fake it till I make it" and everyone without a fate-determining lineage has used it as a motto ever sense. Happiness is a choice.  Happy people are happy because in the 100 situations a day that come along when a choice can be made, they choose happy.  They are not naturally magical happy creatures. The choice puts us back on the hook. We aren't victims, we are responsible.   It's the same with authenticity. When you choose, you aren't "faking it", you are being self-determined. That's honesty. And honesty is the real authenticity.