Be 100% YOU: The Power of Authenticity

“You need to be professional.”
“First impressions matter.”
“How you present yourself is everything.”

Sound familiar?

I was raised in a Hispanic household, which pretty much means high standards were the norm. From a young age, I was constantly reminded of the importance of respect and maturity. I was told:

“Juan, you need to have great manners.”
“You need to act mature.”
“You want adults to take you seriously.”

And for years, I craved the approval of those 'elders'—the cool older cousins who seemed to have it all figured out. They were the ones I wanted to impress. So, I did what I thought I needed to do to fit in.

I would try to crack jokes I didn’t even think were funny.
I would try to relate to things I knew nothing about.
I would do whatever I could to fit the mold I thought I had to fill.

Why?

Because deep down, I just wanted a seat at the ‘Adultos’ table. I wanted to be seen as one of them, not stuck at the kids' table, chatting with my little cousin and some other random kids I didn’t even know (tough times, honestly).

All I could think was, “One day, I’ll get there.”

But here’s the thing: as I grew older, I realized the goal was never to be taken seriously. It was never about pretending to be someone I wasn’t or trying to fit a mold. The real goal was to be myself.

And let me tell you, that’s much easier said than done.

It took time, but I consciously made an effort to embrace who I truly was, to stop pretending, and guess what? It started to work. People started to resonate with the real me. I realized that the thing I had been avoiding—the very thing I thought would keep me from fitting in—was actually the thing that would bring me the acceptance I was seeking all along.

Here’s my point:

So many of us spend our lives pretending to be someone we think we’re supposed to be. We try to meet other people’s expectations, conform to societal norms, or fit into roles we’ve been given. But in doing so, we lose touch with our true selves.

This is your sign to be more YOU.

Let go of the pressure to conform. Stop worrying about what others think. Step into your authentic self and watch how things start to change.

When you operate from a place of authenticity, you inspire others to do the same. You give them permission to be themselves, and that’s powerful.

So, here’s my challenge to you:
Be a role model.
Share who you are.
Be 1000% YOU.

The world doesn’t need more people pretending to be something they’re not. It needs more people who are unapologetically themselves. Are you ready to step into your full, authentic power?

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