Sometimes the best stories happen when you’re not expecting them. This past weekend, something happened at a cottage trip that reminded me why authenticity matters more than “normal.”
The Cottage Text That Sparked a Conversation
We were headed up to one of our friends’ cottages. We meant to leave earlier (is anyone ever on time for cottage departures?) and when we finally got into the car, Waze gave us an ETA of 8:45 p.m., later than expected.
Full transparency: I didn’t check how long the drive would actually take, and just assumed two hours. Spoiler: it was three.
So I sent this text:
“Shit ETA is 8:45 – have a snack lol.”
Later that night, once we’d arrived, unpacked, and had a drink in hand, our friends told me my text had been a topic of conversation. I asked why, and one of them said:
“OK, imagine you got that message. What would a normal person have said?”
And they were right.
A normal person probably would’ve written:
“Sorry we’re late. Don’t wait for us, go ahead and eat without us.”
But here’s the thing. That wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun for any of us.
It’s way more fun to have a snack, pour another drink, and hold off so that when dinner actually happens, it’s everyone together. That’s a dinner party. That’s connection. That’s magic.
And yeah, maybe my version could’ve been worded with a little more tact. But as Chad always reminds me, if I’m going to be me, I’m going to ruffle feathers sometimes.
Because if I weren’t me, if I watered myself down, I’d just blend into sameness.
And sameness does not make for a fun or fulfilling life.
Why Authenticity Feels Better Than “Normal”
In my LIFE AT A TEN® Program, I talk a lot about this:
Being authentically YOU feels the best, because it’s the truest way to be alive.
When you’re out of alignment with who you really are, it feels awful.
We’ve all been in those relationships or situations where, deep down, we know they’re wrong because we’re not thinking, feeling, or acting in ways that match who we are and what we want. That misalignment makes you anxious, drained, or even depressed.
But here’s the best part.
The more fully alive you are, the more value you bring to others.
You are special and important just by being uniquely you.
To bring in some CEO THE SHXT OUT OF YOUR LIFE speak, you were born with certain differentiating factors, your own Unique Selling Proposition (USP). That USP makes you one-of-a-kind, and that uniqueness is where your value lies.
No one is going to say at my funeral:
“Kristen was the most soft-spoken, gentle little baby fawn, who never caused a fuss, never said anything weird and always defaulted to what others wanted.”
Because that’s not who I am. And that’s okay.
What I am is wild, intense, weird, driven, and most importantly, valuable to the people that matter in my life. By being exactly who I am (and not trying to be what I’m not), I get to live my best life. That alignment is a gift to myself, but also to others.
And guess what? The same is true for you.
People don’t need you to blend in. They need you to show up, as unapologetically as YOU. Whether that’s loudly or softly, boldly or quietly, wildly or gently.
So, here’s your reminder this week:
The world doesn’t need “normal.” It needs authentic.
And when you live that way, you don’t just make your life better. You make it more fun, connected, and meaningful for the people lucky enough to be in it. KA-POW!
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