Be Truthful. Be Real. Be You.

Your story matters because it is the only truth that you know. You can only speak from two things: your experiences and the knowledge that you consume, which form your worldview. These of course are the two things that ultimately form the real you.

Your story matters because it is the only truth that you know. Share on X

But being ‘real’ doesn’t only mean that you are who you are, and that you should be true to who you are, and that you should stop trying to be like everyone else. You already know all of those things. But all of this also means that you should go out of your way to communicate the truth to others. You can build your entire life on this — your relationships, your business — it all is positively impacted by honesty. Truth is the most solid foundation you can build on, because it’s the only thing that lasts.

Truth is the most solid foundation you can build on, because it's the only thing that lasts. Share on X

The truth matters, because people can pick up on lies rather quickly and will be able to see through the facade sooner or later. Yes, your dishonesty will find you out. Again, this means that you can only speak to what you know. This idea has changed how I view the world; it has changed who I allow to speak into my life; and it has changed what advice I take to heart.

This is the reason that there’s a balance to information consumption, because the more information consumed, the more you become like someone else and the more you want their desires if you’re not careful. And getting someone else’s dreams doesn’t get you closer to the person you were created to be. Sure, it can inspire you to become more, but you still need to make sure you are being the best you at the same time. (When I heard that many of my friends were either going into finance or tech, it made me think of doing a startup, but that’s their story to live out, not mine.) I have consumed much less information over the past six months and instead have been producing more valuable content. That being said, I hope you have been enjoying it and have seen results because of it.

Anyway, while we’re on the subject of honesty and being ‘real,’ we need to discuss the work we all produce, as well. Is your work truthful? I can say that honesty is the main goal that I have with my work. This is the reason that as I edit every word that I write, I filter it by asking myself the question, “Is this the truth and has it worked for me?” If I haven’t seen the benefit in the advice that I want to give, then I change directions and give advice that I know is truthful. My audience trusts me with the advice that I give them, and I want to deliver honesty every single time. This is the only thing that can build trust. If I don’t give advice that works, then I will eventually lose my audience. Do you see how honesty is so important in the work we produce? It’s actually a top priority.

Honesty has no room for ego, either. If you allow ego to win over truth, then you’re building a foundation of communication that won’t relate to anyone else. Honesty is the only way to connect, because it builds bridges, whereas an ego burns all bridges. Ego wants to cover up the truth, and tell a perfect story, while we all know that perfection doesn’t exist.

As you decide the next steps of your story, know that we don’t need a fake — we need the real you.