Succeed through Authenticity

You are a unique person, with unique experiences and unique talents. You can get ahead in life faster by embracing your uniqueness. Spending time and money trying to be like someone else may seem like a good idea at times, but it robs you of your authenticity.

Someone once said “find that which you love to do and you will never have to work a day in your life”. There is truth in that statement. When you do things you love, though you may physically or mentally get tired, you will enjoy what you do, and it will feel less like work and more like fun.

If you are going to spend equal amounts of energy hating your job (but pretending to like it) and doing your job, think twice my friend. Doing something you hate just for the money is the quickest way to mediocrity. Nobody becomes a class act by hating their job.

Success through authenticity means embracing your uniqueness. It also means investing your time and efforts in ventures that are in alignment with your uniqueness. If you do not find the passion for your job or career – quit. You will hardly get ahead if you do something you loathe anyway. Lack of authenticity produces moderate results at best.

Who are you?

To confidently call yourself authentic, you need to know who you really are. Take time to list your unique characteristics, culture and beliefs, experiences, training etc. Do a SWOT analysis of yourself before embarking on a new venture. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).

What are you talents? What do you do with ease that others struggle in? What do you aspire to do or what does your heart desire? Combining your unique talents, with a strong desire to succeed in an area of life can propel you to success.

Why are you on this planet? What is your mission in life? Let your actions, career, relationships and ventures be guided by your mission in life. Just like corporations, you should have a mission statement that will guide you and tell you when you are on the right track or not.

Your father being a lawyer does not mean you should become one as well. You don’t have to become a writer just because your English teacher said you should. What you do should come from within. If you are thrust into something by external forces, it will show. People can tell a phony from the real deal.

There is more than one avenue for success. Find the avenue that is the closest match to your uniqueness. Trying to change your core to become like someone else is harder than finding a matching career in the long term. Authenticity breeds happiness.

Are you genuinely interested?

To succeed in a venture or relationship, you must throw yourself into it fully. To succeed in a venture, you have to live your venture full time. Undertaking half measures slows down your success journey or derails you.

Are you genuinely interested in your career, job, business or investment? Without genuine interest in what you do, you would not have internal congruence. Lack of internal congruence can introduce conflicting thoughts that hinder progress. You may not be able to apply yourself fully if you are not genuinely interested. Real growth only happens when your interest level is on a high.

I realized early on in life that I do not like taking orders, and neither do I like seeing blood. That ruled out the military and medicine as career options for me. There are many other unique things about me that have directed my career choices. What are you unique characteristics, like and dislikes? Use your uniqueness to your advantage.

If you find that you are continuously forcing yourself to do your job or run a business, perhaps it is high time to evaluate what you are doing. Not all of us can be doctors, bricklayers, cooks, preachers or mechanics. There is something for everyone. Take your time to find your passion and dedicate yourself to what you are good at.

In Summary

Stop trying to keep up with others or to do what society dictates. If you that which you love, are passionate about, and are genuinely interested in, you will soar to greater heights of success and achievement.

I would love to hear from you through your comments. Do you know someone who can succeed more if they followed their passion and unique gifts in life? Please share this blog post with them, your Facebook friends or other friends via email.

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