This year, I (Rachel) have made a big discovery: My purpose in life — summed up very neatly and succinctly — is to be a truth-teller. This makes sense. I LOVE telling it like it is and have been actively doing so since I was a small child.
I tell the truth every day with my clients — sometimes softly, sometimes lovingly, sometimes loudly and directly. Today, I choose to exercise my purpose bluntly, in the form of a #ClarityGem …
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THIS WEEK, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW:
APPLY IT TO YOUR OWN LIFE:
Listen, people. Failing is an unavoidable, incontrovertible thing.
It just is. For that matter, it’s equally true for … rejection, hurt feelings, making an idiotic decision, embarrassing yourself in public, having to be way more vulnerable than you want, making mistakes, owning up to said mistakes, and generally feeling like a complete loser.
All of those are non-negotiable parts of the human experience. You can’t avoid them and also be really, truly living.
And if that’s the case, then why oh why would you choose to experience the uglier side of life while pretending to be someone you’re not?
You know what I mean: Telling people what they want to hear instead of what’s in your heart. Or bending the truth in a job interview to get a job you’re not even excited for. Or playing by rules you don’t even care about or believe in. Or climbing a ladder just ‘cuz that’s what people “do.”
If occasional failure (or humiliation or mistakes or vulnerability) are inevitable (and they ARE), then why not fail while being YOU?
People trick themselves into believing that if they fail while being someone else … then it won’t hurt as badly, and it won’t matter as much. But this is self-sabotage.
Yes, failing while being yourself will sting. That’s unavoidable. But failing while being someone else … that doesn’t just sting. No, that feels like hollow, just-got-punched-in-the-gut-and-can’t-breathe, existential-crisis-level disappointment. It will feel like you majorly let yourself down and fell far short of your potential.
Personally, I’m willing to take the occasional sting; but I’m NOT willing to suffer the kind of disappointment that comes from compromising who I am.
It hurts more to fail as someone you’re NOT than to fail while being yourself. #ClarityGems
How is this #ClarityGem sitting with you today? Leave us a comment below to let us know!
WHAT #CLARITYGEMS ARE ALL ABOUT:
Sometimes it’s just better to avoid long blog posts and cut straight to the point!
Think of #ClarityGems as your weekly shake of the good ‘ole Magic 8 Ball … you never know what might bubble up and how it might be exactly what you need to hear today.
And instead of just a beautiful, inspirational, and shareable image (which is a nice start), we’re giving you some quick thoughts about how to interpret it … because inspiration without action is pretty, but kind of anti-climatic.
Tweet it, share it on Instagram, or forward it along to someone who needs to hear it today … and tag us (@ClarityonFire) to let us know how this Gem is inspiring you!
Much Love,
Rachel + Kristen
