"Make visible what, without you,

  might perhaps never have been seen."    Robert Bresson

I have spent most of my life in a hunt for what is genuine, real and authentic.

My real job is nothing more than mustering up the courage on a daily basis to be who I really am, say what I feel, do what I believe and yes help others color outside the lines to create the most authentic, original art possible with their lives and businesses.

You see I'm not here to copy your life or your business. I'm here to live my own courageously authentic life.

I'm not here to pretend I'm  Maddoff or play a role like executive V.P. because it looks good. I'm not here to copy your vision or mission or to falsely represent myself as caring about things I don't give a rats ass about.  I'm here to discover my own unique calling and to pursue it with all my heart, soul and mind. And so are you.

You see authenticity is life. 

It takes courage to be yourself and wouldn't you know it, the word courage comes from the root 'coeur' which means heart. It takes heart to be authentic, to be honest with yourself and others about who you are, what your dreams are and to live your beliefs moment by moment.

Let's imagine for a minute there will never be another like you, nor a business just like yours; with all the passions, skills, abilities and giftings you possess here, now, presently.

 In the end it's your life. Not your bosses, the clients, the publisher, the vendors or even your parents. It's your life.

Don't settle for a  carbon copy life. Forget about the millionaire or the 36 by 36 by 36 babe next door. 

Authenticity is integrity.  When we are authentic there is wholeness, an integrity from within that takes over our entire being. We are comfortable in our skin. We are fully alive as  spirits having a physical experience.  Be real don't waste another moment pretending to be someone or something that you aren't. Don't deprive the world of your incredible gifts and talents and perspective.  The world doesn't need any more fakes. Be inspire to live your truth.

So what is an authentic life?

 It's a life in which your heart beats fast, where you are excited, inspired, where your talents, passions and abilities are aligned with what you spend your time on. It's a life that feels as if it was designed and crafted to allow you to become the best you- you're capable of  being. It is a life where possibility is unwrapped daily. A life where you are in the zone more than you are not, where moments disappear as you are caught up in being, living.  It's life as art. It's a journey. It's a life where dreams and aspirations receive the nurture and the support necessary to be realized.

In my younger years I spent countless moments worrying about fitting in doing insane things like trying to curl my hair to flip just so. My hair didn't want to flip, but I thought if I copied Farrah Fawcett I would somehow be cooler, better – more.

Wrong. I was less, because I was trying to be more life her…

 These days' I don't curl my hair. It curls if it gets wet.

I don't color my hair except for deeper brown like it wants to be.

I don't pretend to like things I don't. And I don't invest in things that bore me or make me feel like I am an idiot. I invest in the things that light me up- that make me want to get up each day even when circumstances suck.

 Sure sometimes I wish the authentic life was safer, there were road maps, that I could see the future and yes who wouldn't like to have ALL their questions answered?

Over the years I've found that all I need to live authentically is faith and courage. So these days when the temptation to compromise, to ignore my unique design, to give up on my life dreams comes I remind myself; faith is the believing I am never alone, I am divinely guided and purposed here, now. And courage is taking heart, it's showing up, refusing to be disingenous, fake or false. It's staying true to what I believe even when it's not financially or emotionally beneficial. It's stewarding my gifts and talents and believing that I am here for a reason.

You see we are all stewards, responsible for our  life. We are all artists hungering to do our best work- to manifest the life that best represents our values, passions, ideals, talents, abilities and skills…

Listen to yourself. Trust your design. Be true and genuine. Invest your life in  your passions, skills and abilities. Craft your life with the care you craft your business, relationships and your retirement. You were purposefully crafted and uniquely blessed.

Take heart- have courage; you are here to be you; wonderfully, genuinely, radically you- And just think what the implications are for your businesses. Authentic businesses can't help but be highly differentiated, value added ventures…because that's the imprint of each human life.

Go ahead be authentic; Be you!