Living Intentionally - Fake It (Part Deux)

Living Intentionally - Fake It (Part Deux)

We are what we believe we are. —C. S. Lewis

THE PROBLEM IS we want to be accepted. We want to be admired. We fear ridicule—to our faces or behind our backs. Thus we create a fictional character that we believe is more engaging and attractive than our true self. But she’s not; she’s just the opposite. The fictional character we create is usually plastic and shallow, and an authentic woman can smell a fake before her first hello.

If you’ve been in character too long, you may have forgotten how to fake it and be yourself. If that’s the case, here are my three best tips:

Reveal: Tell others something about yourself that is deprecating but humorous. Others love to hear that you’re not perfect, that you make stupid mistakes, and that you don’t take yourself so seriously that you can’t laugh at your own nuttiness.

Respond: Authentic people listen with their hearts and respond with their eyes. Sometimes simple eye contact alone says a thousand words. The eyes are indeed the window to the soul.

Relax: Get comfortable. A few years ago, I led a women’s Bible study. As a matter of course, we took off our shoes during our meetings. Pedicure or no, together we walked barefoot through the book of Daniel—and it was amazing to watch the walls come down when the heels were kicked off.

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4)

So who do you believe you are? Is she a different woman than you allow others to know? If you’ve been in character too long, you may have forgotten how to fake it and be yourself.

You can’t live intentionally until you fake it; try being yourself for a change.