When We Stop Hiding, We Start Living

I recently took myself on a breakfast date. Inspired by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, I drove to a nearby café, ordered an oat milk cappuccino and vibrant blue matcha flapjacks, and took a seat at an open table. I laid out my notebooks, sipping my drink and nibbling breakfast as I journaled. As my pen moved smoothly across the paper, I felt an exhilarating freedom. I was entirely myself, not caring what the roomful of strangers thought of me.

Halfway through my journaling session, a young woman leaned over from the adjacent table and expressed admiration for how I sat there journaling in public. I noticed that she also held a notebook and pen. Our shared ‘weirdness’ sparked a rich conversation around self-reflection and authenticity. In that moment, two strangers connected over the simple act of being openly themselves.

As I drove home, I reflected on authenticity. Why is it so daunting, yet liberating? The challenge to being authentic, I’ve discovered over time, isn’t other people. It’s ourselves. We are the gatekeepers of our own genuine expression, constantly evaluating whether it is safe to reveal our quirks and eccentricities to others. Our evolutionary instinct for acceptance, once vital for survival, now traps us in conformity. We don’t want to be seen as “weird” because then we won’t be accepted by the group. Yet, how often do we reflect on who exactly “the group” is, and whether their acceptance truly matters?

If we look around, we will notice a liberating truth: Most people aren’t paying attention to us at all. They are preoccupied with their own journeys, insecurities, and daily challenges (as we are in our own lives). When I finally understood this, it became much easier to embrace my unique blend of interests. I’m a bearded man who’d rather discuss philosophy and personal growth than talk cars or sports. I work standing at my desk, my bare feet on a pink yoga mat, drinking green smoothies. Do my eccentricities raise a few eyebrows? Sure. But in living unapologetically true to myself I’ve discovered much deeper connections and more profound moments of joy.

So, dear reader, consider which unique traits you possess but hold back out of fear of judgement? What quirky passions simmer quietly beneath the surface, awaiting your permission to be openly celebrated? Are you truly living in alignment with your authentic self, or are you confining yourself in invisible chains of expectation? Authenticity isn’t merely an ideal; it’s a powerful practice of aligning our inner truth with our outer actions. Life is too precious, too fleeting, to waste chasing conditional acceptance.

Today I encourage you to take one deliberate step towards authenticity. Perhaps it is speaking your mind, nurturing a neglected hobby, or simply sitting alone in a café and journaling your thoughts, an unapologetic smile on your face. The most transformative act is often the most courageous, and choosing to be ourselves in a world intent on moulding us otherwise is the most courageous act of all.

Until next week,

Ric.