My Problem with "Fake it 'Till You Make It"
In today's culture, there's a serious problem: we reward people for being inauthentic.
We follow everyone else's lead to what made them "successful". And the more you go down the rabbit-hole trying to "find yourself" by comparing yourself to others, the more you can get lost in it.
The truth in the way I perceive this is that there is nothing really to be "found", because you were never "lost". You might have thought that you were lost, with your mind... but really you were being jerked around by that big brain in your head.
Your soul has been there, it's never left you.
Rather, I see the awakening process now as an emergence... a peeling away of the identities that you defined yourself as, in a way to fit in with others, or belong in society... a deep need of human existence.
What if you were to shake everything you have learned and essentially un-learn it? This is the process I have been on for the past 5 years of my life, since my spiritual awakening moment that came around in 2018.
Naval Ravikant says that "we are mnemonic creatures," meaning we follow each other. So, we follow the lead of business coaches that tell you the way to do this is the way to become successful in your art.
But here's the thing - they don't know how to become successful in your art because it's YOUR art. You are the creator of your life. What someone else did may or may not work for you.
And it won't be sustainable either, because if you try and copy someone else's form of art, you won't be able to sustain that for very long.
Why? Because the energy behind it will dissipate. There's no heart behind it.
Take my story for example, my process began with an inner urge to give back to my audience that I created when I started blogging in 2014, so I began "business coaching". I knew a lot about business coaching, but I created my definition of "success" at the time - money - based upon helping other people make money.
There's nothing inherently "wrong" about this - other than it was inauthentic to me because I was making money teaching other people how to make money. Do you see the irony in that? It's like a never ending loop. As Naval Ravinkant says "be very wary about people who teach you how to get rich. That's just them getting rich off you."
Where is the foundation of that? Where is the roots, the stability... the GROUND?
That's what I had been trying to find for the past 5 years, and it's why I haven't launched a course since P2P in 2018. While "successful" - it still didn't have the backing of me, my authentic self.
See... no one can copy YOU. There's no competition in this space, and that is wildly freeing. Saying what you want, when you want, how you want. It's delicious.
And it took a while to get here... To know what this feeling even is - to have shed all the preconceived ideas/notions, conditionings, etc. from childhood and society as a whole.
It's like a muscle - when you see it and feel it and have a reference point for people who are acting and living in this way... it's incredibly beautiful and I am so grateful to model off these type of people in my community and life.
Bringing people to see their authenticity and light - what a gift, an honor, a privilege. I cannot wait to see what is in store... many things coming...
For now, I will leave you with a poem I wrote entitled, "Making Love with Your Soul":
Reckless, not reckless but gentle.
A solid foundation to work on.
But where’s the fun in that?
We always have fun when we’re intertwined…
Twisting, intertwining, loving, making love.
A cosmic swirl of the ancients.
Making love… articulating love.
That’s a hard thing.
How can you describe the meeting of your soul in another?
In you?
The most beautiful scripture your ears have ever listened to.
The sweet buzz of a bee tickling your ear for more.
Teasing you and loving you.
Breaking you open with its cosmic force.
Bringing tears to your eyes.
Too much for you to handle, but exactly what you need.
Because there is no handling here, only opening... only love.
Love,
Lauren