Authenticity Is the New Benz

When I was starting on my career path and finding my way at age 25, I had a manager in my 1st job in professional staffing who was quite different than me. He was an Eastern European guy who was strict and polished, and appreciated style more than substance. One time late in the afternoon one day he approached me and placed a photo of a beautiful Mercedes Benz on my desk. He told me this is what I should aspire to (I was riding the bus back in those days). I asked him “Why?”. His response was that by having this car, my customers would be impressed and more interested in doing business with me. I disagreed, but sort of nodded my head (as one does in the early stages of their careers) and replied… “Sure!”

The thing is success is not about what kind of car you drive - Especially in the year 2021…

Authenticity is the new Benz!

We live in a world where the struggle to find the truth is real. Social media is filled with image crafting. News reels are filled with sensational headlines. Information has a tone, an angle, and an agenda presented with it. In a world of “fake”, the individual thrives by being REAL.

“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”

-Oscar Wilde

What is Being Real?

Being real is being honest. Being real is living your passion. Being real is making a decision on your values and living those values no matter what.

What is the Outcome?

People are drawn to honesty. They are drawn to people who act vs. speak. You as an individual will realize your own success and break the ceiling you have set for yourself when you live an authentic life and become real.

How do you Become Authentic?

1) Accept Yourself. We have some aspects of ourselves we cannot change. We have a certain physical appearance, a way we were raised, and a set of circumstances we live through. Do not worry about the things that you cannot change and choose to see the good side vs. bad side of what you already have. Have an attitude of gratitude.

2) The Way You Treat Others Determines All. As humans we are conditioned to become self-obsessed. But, when we realize our true fulfillment is through the service to others, we will get the money, the accolades, the respect we want. The validation does not come from others, it comes from within us. If you treat others the way you want to be treated and served, the people who can truly add value to your life will appear and stick around.

3) Enjoy the Process. We are constantly evolving, learning, changing, dealing with failures and setbacks. These things are helping us grow and get better. Do not let the opinions and judgements of people who don’t know you or understand you hold you back. Realize that everyone is going through their own journey and likely put no thought toward yours.

4) Take Ownership and Leave Ownership. Apologize for only the things you have done wrong. Hold no guilt and focus on solving problems instead of holding shame. Do not let people outside your wavelength interfere with what your vision is. Do not apologize for other people.

5) Your Lifestyle is the End Goal. Once you decide what you want from this life, keep this in mind. You may not be in the job you love or the situation you prefer. Ask yourself, “Is your day-to-day activities leading you the lifestyle you desire?” What is that lifestyle? Lifestyle means doing what you need to do, to spend time on the activities that bring you most joy. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

“Unless a person is a master of their soul, all other kinds of mastery amount to little.”

-Teddy Roosevelt

Exercises for YOU to Become a More Authentic Person

The authentic person is someone who demonstrates a passion, love, and level of service toward what they care about the most. They realize individual fulfillment by giving to others what they want for themselves. To become authentic, you first must prioritize and stick to whatever you care about most. Here are some exercises you can do to find out how to bring out the passion and love within.

1) Observe What Gives you a Reaction. Personally, I found out I was meant to be a coach because I would constantly take notice, critique, or show interest in participating with any situation that involved coaching others to be better. Write down the things you care about.

2) If You are Upset, Ask Yourself “Why?”. We are often unhappy because we fail to receive the approval and validation of others. We need to live without others approval. We need to be awesome and understand that being awesome is a truth validated to us by the flow of energy we manifest and channel amongst other awesome people. If you are kind, working hard, acting with character, being who you want others to be- those who do not appreciate it do not matter, and they will not ultimately stop you.

3) 80/20 Rule- There are inevitable unpleasant taxes to pay in this life. My RMT loves helping relieve tension and pain within the human body but realizes that washing the sheets people’s naked bodies are lying on is a part of the job. Every day, every task is not glamourous. But focus 20% of your time and your energy on the unpleasant taxes. Put 80% of your time and mental energy into what you love, what you are good at. Same thing goes for people. We all must deal with a**holes. Give the a**holes no more than 20% of your time and put 80% of your time into the people and activities that are moving you toward your lifestyle and happiness goal.

4) Do the Work, Take the Initiative. The people who become fulfilled own it and create it. Earning your happiness is a true joy in life that influences and positively inspires others.

5) Revisit your Vision Regularly. It becomes easy to get lost in the grind. You need to pull your head up every once in a while, and make sure your energy is being well spent. Vision is the pre-cursor to the plan. Plans need to be flexible and adjusted, they don’t always come to fruition quickly. Stick to your vision, adjust your plan when needed.

Always remember to prioritize your mental, emotional, and physical health. It is much easier to be your true authentic awesome self when you are feeling good. Life is short, take care of yourself so you can enjoy as much of it as you can!

“Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, magical person that you are.”

-Mandy Hale

Jesse Kunicky resides in Vancouver, BC. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and is a leader in the staffing industry. Jesse also takes great pride and has a lot of passion working as a volunteer high school and community football coach. He has extensive experience building successful teams and coaching people to be their best in both the business and sports arenas.

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Holly & Kate can help you step into your power and find your niche!