I wrote this at some point last year, but lately it’s been feeling more relevant due to a situation I’ve dealt with over the past few months. It’s interesting how people change in the course of a year or more and sometimes you need to walk away and take a step back to really understand who someone is/was as a person. It’s been a reminder to me to surround myself with people who are genuine and authentic. I’m fortunate to have those type of people around me on a day-to-day basis. Hitting rewind….
Like I said…words girl…and yet another word I’ve learned to love (in my old age of 28): Authenticity/Authentic.
To start off with, let’s break down the definition of the word: authentic. Good old Webster defines authentic as: of undisputed orgin or authorship, genuine, accurate in representation of facts, trustworthy and reliable.
There’s a few reasons why I love this word. First, it’s the type of person that I strive to be. I try to be authentic and genuine with everyone I meet and interact with, whether I like them or not. Second, it’s the type of people who I surround myself with. I can say that my true friends are some of the most authentic people who I know. They care with a deep conviction and are genuine in the words they speak. And I hope to one day be in a relationship with someone who has that character quality.
The reason why this came up: inauthentic people who are in my “circle”, if you will. People that are not genuine, that don’t care and are not themselves. People who are branding themselves as someone else, in order to gain attention (or worse: just a job). I gotta say: this rubs me the wrong way. Pretending to be someone who you are truly not – inauthentic. Following someone else’s path – inauthentic. And honestly, once I notice these qualities in a person, I stop trusting them. I start doubting their actions or questioning their motives. And almost immediately, I move them from the “friend” circle to the “acquaintance” circle (which by the way: look me up on google +).
So my final thought for the night:
Be yourself.
Brand yourself – by your interest, qualities and desires.
Be Authentic.
Thoughts?
Life in the CLE 
I find, the more we surround ourselves with genuine people who care for and respect us, the more that the others seems to fall away. You are one of those kind individuals who is always true to yourself. No matter what.
i absolutely loved this post! i think i have been trying to say this same thing/or something extremely similar for weeks now and havent been to find the right words. you said it so perfectly! we have recently just met but i can already tell you are completely genuine, authentic and i can tell with a heart of gold!
Thanks ladies! I appreciate the kind comments. This was definitely re-posted due to a specific situation after losing a friend of over 5+ years but I’m glad you were able to relate.
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