The real me is calling

I feel something stirring. Building up within. Fighting to break free. Looking to erupt.

I’ve felt it before, but not like this. It’s reminiscent of the itch that lead me to quit Google and craft a meaningful life. In comparison, that was a faint sensation. This time, it’s visceral. Palpable. My entire body is telling me to take action.

The feeling is dissonance. The lack of alignment. A calling to be my authentic self. The real me.

My quest for authenticity

In a way, I’ve been on the quest for authenticity since I quit. I set out to find what matters to me and manifest it. Recently, I leaned into it - no matter how strange it seemed.

I value self-development, so I asked my friends for constructive feedback on my birthday. I care about expressing my love, so I touch my parents feet every morning. Heck, last week I drew an elaborate analogy between writing and defecating.

This year, I want to take it even further.

Do average things, expect average results

Authenticity is a funny thing. It’s hard and easy at the same time.

The ease comes from its effortlessness. It’s what naturally comes to you. And what’s easier than being you?

The difficulty stems from years of conditioning. We were taught to follow the rules. Do what everyone else is doing. Be a sheep.

It takes time to unlearn this. You need to unravel society’s expectations before you can form your own.

I know this better than anyone. I went from perfect grades in school to a lucrative job at Google. That’s the definition of conventional success. Yet, I wasn’t fulfilled.

So, I quit. But it wasn’t easy. I was afraid of the consequences. I was separating from the pack. What if this was all a big mistake? Will I get left behind? Am I the arrogant fool that doesn’t realize conventional wisdom is “conventional” for a reason?

Society perpetuates this fear. We shame those are different. At the same time, it celebrates the exceptional. This is a contradiction. The reality is that you can’t have one without the other.

The only thing that separates the two is time. Most successful people will tell you they were ridiculed when starting out. After they accomplished their goal, they were hailed as a visionary.

The key to their success: they didn’t conform. They just followed their unique calling.

Intuitively, this makes sense. You can’t be normal and expect abnormal returns.

Find your frequency

We hold back from pursuing our dreams because of what others will think. But you won’t care about their opinion when you are doing what you love.

It’s like being upset that it’s raining back home while you’re on a sunny beach vacation. You’re happy where you are. The present is what matters, not the world you left behind.

Sure, people will make fun of you. You will lose respect. You may even lose friends. That’s ok. They just weren’t on the same wavelength. Sometimes, you have to clean house in order to start anew; a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Your authenticity will self-select for the right environment. It broadcasts who you are and what matters. I promise, your people will find it and tune in… and they will be worth it.

–

This post took redacted minutes to write.

Here’s why I share this data with my email list. Join us!

P.S: You can find more of my thoughts on Twitter @_suketk.