Hey, CityFam,
I heard something yesterday and it made me think of all of us at CityFam. It was really about being authentic. Instead of just talking about it, I thought: “Why don't I just do it from a place of authenticity?”
So I thought I would just talk to you guys right where I am. This morning I've been reading & catching up on my book club stuff actually. It just felt like the right time to just talk to you guys. So here I am in my favorite little corner of my room in my pajamas, haven't gotten dressed, actually haven't even brushed my hair, have not brushed my teeth. Nothing. I just thought that this might be like no makeup, the place of being as real as possible.
I would love for us in CityFam to be a culture of people who are not afraid to be real with each other. And so I think that starts with us being real with each other. Not very long ago, I saw an interview with Will Smith and his wife. She's explaining that she spent all of these years living with him and just being who she thought he needed instead of who she actually is. That really made me think, “What if we could truly be ourselves and communicate?”
That resonated with me because sometimes I feel like I'm not enough. Like I'm not pretty enough. I'm not smart enough. I'm not real enough. I am not together enough. But then I remember, I'm enough for me and I'm enough for my creator. That's all I need right there. And imagine if we got to have relationships with people like that where we got to be real and know that we are accepted, loved and respected just the way we are.
What if we really were able to communicate to each other and. Be the kind of evil who lived through a lens of who we actually are?
That's the kind of life that I want to live. I think there, there were a few things that. Authentically. I felt like I was doing really well. And there are a few things I felt like I was really failing at. So we actually went fishing when we were in key West. And I there's this question that I would ask myself sometimes. And it's just like, what would I do if I'm not afraid? Well, I love being by the water being by the water is like one of my favorite things to do ever, ever, it could be a pool or a pond or the beach or anything at all and we were, we were fishing. So the boat actually was going really fast And all I really wanted to do was like, just get in the water. It was gorgeous. It was blue. It was so pretty. And of course you're not going to jump out of the boat. That's ridiculous.
But I thought, what would I do if I really was not afraid? And so I actually just climbed up on the rail on the edge of the boat. I sat on the edge of the boat and put my hands over the rail.
What would I do if I really was not afraid?
Imagine the things that we hold back from saying to people, if we actually just said things that might come across as really scary. Maybe you have a friend and there's something that is bothering you, but instead you hold it in instead of just talking to them kindly. I value like the people in my life that are willing to say the hard things to me. Of course – I know they love me enough to want to help me grow in an area that I’m blind to or help me understand another perspective. I know that I can go to and I can ask them the really hard questions and they love me enough to speak truth to me and not leave me where I am in a situation or relationship.
What are you afraid that might happen if you were yourself? What are you afraid might happen if you told the truth? What are you afraid might happen if you were your actual, real, authentic self? I'm a hundred percent guilty of not being authentic. Sometimes I'm a hundred percent guilty of being afraid of it. I'm a hundred percent guilty of feeling like I'm not enough, but at the same time when I do, and when I am, that's my favorite self. I wish that with CityFam that's who we all could be. We could just be who we are in our best, in our moment, in our reality, or even when we're doing great and we're winning. That's real.
So, this is really, truly about as real as you get with me. Like this is my morning. No lie. I honestly, I didn't even didn't even fix my hair. I promise you, I didn't look how bad, but you know what? It's just, it's real. And I, if I'm going to challenge you to be real, I feel like I should be real to you.
What would you guys say is the hardest thing for you when it comes to being yourself?
It takes ALL of us to create a culture of authenticity. I’m asking this of myself and of you: Do we have the courage, strength and a willingness to be authentic, imperfect and REAL? It starts with me and with you! Let’s continue to make CityFam a SAFE place to be authentic as we are working on becoming the BEST versions of ourselves! I have a deep respect for you guys. We are all in this together!