The aphorism fake it till you make it is bullshit. To this day, men walk around preaching that nonsense as if it is gospel—and worse, some men are able to look themselves in the mirror each night, and sleep easily knowing that day in and day out they’re fakes. I’ll admit that when I came out of college and entered the professional working world, that the ‘fake it till ya make it mentality’ was something I believed in. If you’re willing to accept that bit of honesty, then you should also know that I never bought into it wholeheartedly because something about “faking it” never sat right with me. But, back then, what did I know?
“I am what I am and that’s all that I am.”
Today’s culture isn’t far removed from any other culture from our past in regards to people wanting to peacock their way through life, touting their status as it being better than it really is. The only real difference is: the reality that some of us have has a significant drop off from the portrayal of what is faked as reality on social media. Don’t be that person. If I’ve learned anything in my life it’s that authenticity is your living résumé. In other words: if the talk doesn’t match the walk—and you’re a phony—then what good are you? How can I/we trust someone who is okay with faking their way through something? It seems to me that I/we would rather put trust into someone willing to put in the work to produce the authenticity that we can count on. (Because at this stage of the game, not one of us is in the business of entertaining a cohort who is untrustworthy; and if you are this is your wake up call to cut them out).
While it is true that we measure men by actions, ruling out words is not fair to the process. We also have to hold true to our “living résumé” by saying who we are and being that which we say that we are.
Every fire needs oxygen to exist. Air contains (about) 21% oxygen and most fires require (about) 16% oxygen to burn. By that rationale, let’s make that 16% of our efforts be what we say and the other 84% be the action—the fire. Too often we get caught up in the content creation for the sheer desire to cultivate Likes rather than creating to be a creator. There is no better creation than yourself; and to improve upon yourself by means of becoming your Übermensch on your path to greatness is one of life’s greatest campaigns.
Be who you say that you are. Faking it is bullshit. Fakers are bullshitters. Be the difference, be authentic, be the fire.
