Authenticity. Transparency.
Authenticity and transparency are the reason I love blogging. They are what connected me. They make me strong, brave, and vulnerable. They are the power of the truth. Nothing can undercut, overwrite, argue down what I say, if I write in my own authentic, transparent voice from the truth I know. I am safe and I am able to add something valuable.
Authenticity. Transparency.
Those two words were what made me painfully shy as a child in the real world, especially at this time of year.
Even when I was as young as three, I would see people open gifts and say “thank you,” without thinking about the words. The words wouldn’t sound right to me. They wouldn’t resonate with the music of gratitude. That confused me.
As a result, I had the hardest time saying “Thank you.” I was sure that people didn’t believe me. Why should they? I didn’t believe them. That was a problem. I couldn’t bear to have my feelings tossed aside. It bothered me that folks I cared about might think my words were empty. Painfully shy really does mean painful.
Authenticity. Transparency.
In a few minutes, I’ll be leaving my computer to meet with my son’s 86-year-old grandmother. She’s an elegant lady, who lives on the Gold Coast of Chicago. She was recently released from the hospital with oxygen and a walker. She’ll be wearing fabulous clothing and have gifts that are wrapped worthy of photos in magazines. We’ll be bringing them to her husband in an assisted care center. He has Alzheimer’s. He won’t remember me.
He is the definition of authenticity and transparency. So is their love.
That one paragraph is the sum of what I will blog about their story. That one paragraph and this one sentence ‘€“ It breaks my heart.
Authenticity. Transparency.
When you meet with your friends and your family, bring what you’ve learned about authenticity and transparency to the real world.
Liz Strauss also writes for Liz Strauss at Successful-Blog
