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On Being Your Authentic Self...

3/24/2024

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by Skip Cohen

​When I first started Sunday Morning Reflections, it was a way for me to step away from marketing and business and get personal. The series gave me a chance to express something I was feeling that had nothing to do with photography but everything to do with life.

As I've written before, Sheila and I started a tradition years ago of reading something motivational out loud to each other every morning at breakfast. We each have a book we've chosen that focuses on some daily thought that gets us energized for the day ahead. While some of you may think it's hokey, it works like an energy drink for the soul.

My reading this morning, by Cyndie Spiegel, is appropriate for so many of us and fits perfectly with the knucklehead that I am:

TAKE THE RISK
There is always a risk when you commit to authentically being who you are. You will be judged, and some people may not like you. As scary as that may seem, don't allow yourself to become complacent in an effort to be liked by everyone else.  You will be judged anyway, so why not be judged based on who you truly are?

I'll admit it's not always easy, especially these days. Social media gives the whole world access to everything we share. That exposure leaves us open to criticism, whether we ask for it or not. And that brings me right to my point.

Stay focused on the things that matter most to you. Listen to the rest of the world, but in the end, stay in tune with your heart. I saw a great line the other day: "Trust your heart. It knows the way!" Stop doubting yourself and be authentic. 

I've written many times about being a photographer: You can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it. The same applies to your life when a camera isn't in your hands. Nothing will hamper you more than a persona that isn't truly you.
True belonging doesn't require you to change who you are;
it requires you to be who you are. 

Brené Brown
Wishing everybody a day ahead with no artificial ingredients. Take the time to appreciate everyone and everything that's contributed to who you are. Be authentic, and don't put out your fire because someone else doesn't understand your flame.* Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I've been writing about - they really do work, especially with that special person you share your life with.

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.

*Quote from OurMindfulLife.com
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