I stumbled upon a writing challenge, throughout the month of April. Apparently there are a few rules and guidelines to this. If I understand correctly, participants are asked to choose a theme and corresponding words for each letter of the alphabet. That’s really nice and lots of fun, I’m sure. You know what, though? I am doing this A-Z challenge my way, off the cuff. Are you ready for the ride? Then get buckled up and we’re starting with A for authenticity…

For decades I painstakingly tried to be, who family members, co-workers or friends thought I should be. I felt like an actress, performing to the best of my abilities. Needless to say, my performance was never good enough, but if anything, I was “easier to deal with”. It took me way too long to realize that I was everyone, except my true self. Every time I had to introduce myself somewhere and talk about who I am, or better yet, what makes me unique, I didn’t know what to say, because I had nothing to share. And one day, a few years ago, my mind was made up that I needed to find myself. Trying to be authentic every day is a challenge, that never gets any easier. It takes a lot of courage, more than I have most days, and quite often the people around me are not amused. Why? Because I no longer do what I’m told, if it feels wrong, or if I don’t like/agree with whatever is asked of me. Right quick I was given labels like difficult or head strong. And you know what? If it makes them happy, let them label me. That’s fine. I’m finally getting to the point, at which I try to internalize, that other people’s opinions of me are none of my business. If I don’t hear it myself, I don’t need to concern myself with whatever is being said. I have a much better understanding now with regard to who I am, and that’s all I need to care about.
Pertaining to this blog: I’m not here to prove myself to anyone. I’m not here to impress anyone. You won’t find me using “fancy words” [that need to be researched first, about the correct meaning, proper use or spelling]. I won’t attempt to dazzle you with anything, that I can’t back up in real life. So what you read here, this is who I am, it is what I do, think and feel. There is no difference between my online and offline personality. The content I will share here is certainly not everybody’s interest, but it is authentic. And that’s a good start, I think.