February 9, 2025 • 21 mins
Imagine walking into a job interview feeling like you’re performing rather than being yourself. Join me, Dr. Jason Wiggins, as I share this personal story and unravel the pressures of conforming, especially within demanding environments like Hollywood. We explore the liberating journey of embracing authenticity, highlighting its crucial role in self-awareness, integrity, and personal growth. Discover how shedding societal expectations allows you to connect with your true self, and how vulnerability can be a stepping stone, not a stumbling block, on the path to fulfillment and resilience.
In our conversation, we delve into self-improvement through the lens of authenticity and effective communication. Much like the nurturing guidance a parent offers a child, transparency and mindfulness emerge as tools to navigate emotions and unveil inner strengths. Let's redefine leadership by celebrating vulnerabilities and recognizing how diverse strengths can lead to collective success. I'll also share insights on how living inauthentically can lead to unnecessary struggles, while being true to oneself can inspire genuine self-expression and fulfillment. Don’t miss out on these empowering messages—subscribe and share these insights to uplift those you care about.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello friends, welcome to your Motivational Gen
Z and Millennial Expert Podcast.
I am your host, my name is DrJason Wiggins and it is
fantastic to be here.
I hope everybody is having agreat day, a great weekend, as
you prepare for the upcomingweek.
Today we got a great show.
(00:20):
We're going to talk about howto be your authentic you, how to
demonstrate that you are theperson that you feel, that you
envision yourself and that youare literally living your best
life.
But before we get started, Idefinitely want to share with
you that our podcast is made forGen Zs and millennials, to
(00:43):
motivate you to get the best outof you, to see you continue to
thrive in life while we canstill have this podcast for any
other group baby boomers, gen X,alphas so let's really ensure
that we share the message ofhelping each other improve, and
(01:04):
that is why we extend thispodcast out, because, at the end
of the day, it's about thrivingas individuals.
So let's start today by talkingabout being authentic.
What does being authentic mean?
We're going to talk aboutexamples, we're going to talk
about applications and we'regoing to talk about how it will
(01:26):
ultimately make the better you.
I always like to start out bysharing an example.
An example and the best exampleI can always use is my
vulnerability, which we'll talkabout, my trials and
tribulations.
And, for example, I grew up notalways liking myself, not
(01:46):
always wanting to be the personI felt like I was, because I
didn't know who I was.
That's part of the growthpattern.
But even into my, even into myadult years, I struggled when I
went on the job interviews.
Instead of being authentic tomyself, being somebody that I
(02:06):
know who I am, you even startpretending who you are.
During an interview process,for example, I normally comb my
hair the same way.
Well, for the job interview, Icombed it down, basically trying
to show that I didn't have muchflair, meaning I was more of a
conservative approach.
And it just wasn't me.
(02:28):
I still got the job and as Iworked at that job, I continued
to change my hair back to theway it was.
It's, for example, it's likedating.
You know, you prepare yourselffor a date, you put on this
fancy show of who you want thatperson to think you are and you
(02:49):
end up demonstrating that maybethat wasn't the real you, maybe
they saw right through it, andthen, obviously, the date might
have been a failure.
And if it was, anything thatyou know brought you continuous
happiness, maybe you acted likeyourself versus somebody you
thought they wanted you to be.
(03:09):
So that's the dating scene.
I haven't been on the datingscene for a long time so I
probably don't really have muchknowledge of that.
Hollywood, hollywood, hollywoodis probably the most fake place
you can imagine.
Everybody's trying to live upto what everybody's expectation
(03:31):
is of them, so authenticity inHollywood is pretty much
non-existence, which is why somany people at times can feel so
lonely.
At times can feel so lonely Agood friend of mine.
He is a producer and directorfor films in the LA San Diego
(03:52):
area and he is one of the mostauthentic, genuine people I know
.
But if I put him right in themiddle of Hollywood, he would be
probably the center of whatauthenticity would be, should be
, in Hollywood.
So those are just some examplesof being authentic, or I should
say, not being authentic.
(04:15):
And so what are the core valuesof being authentic?
It's leading with your trueself.
It doesn't matter if you'retall, fat, skinny, you know.
Whatever it may be, it's whoyou are, it's how you were
(04:35):
embodied, it's how you'velearned to develop.
That doesn't mean we sit home,we eat Cheetos, we drink a
beverage of choice without anycare in the world.
That's not what authenticity is.
Authenticity is the value thatyou bring by bringing yourself
(04:57):
to the table.
So the value, the value is noteating Cheetos and drinking your
favorite beverage of choice.
It is about bringing your bestvalued assets, with your moral
compass, your integrity, andbringing that to the table to
demonstrate that this is thevalue, the strength that I bring
(05:21):
, to being a productive citizenwithin your local region, for
example.
It's about demonstrating yourvulnerabilities.
I am extremely open to asyou've noticed through these
podcasts, I'm more than willingto share my vulnerability.
(05:43):
Why?
Because my vulnerability is myweakness.
My weakness is the desire toimprove, and if you can
demonstrate the desire toimprove, then you're going to
demonstrate the ability to pushon, to move forward, to be a
productive human being.
Forward, to be a productivehuman being.
Now, another key part we talkedabout is being self-aware.
(06:07):
You have to understand who youare, the values that you bring.
Second is you want to betransparent.
You want to be open with yourcommunication.
You want to say, hey, this iswho I am, like it or not, and I
think that's the kind ofattitude that we need to
(06:31):
demonstrate when we're talkingto others, when we're trying to
demonstrate our abilities.
This is who I am, like it ornot.
I'm not refined.
I am like it or not, I'm notrefined.
I'm not going to be somebodythat I'm not.
I'm going to stand here andtake my lumps if I have to, but
I'm going to do it with a moralcompass.
(06:52):
I'm going to do it by havingethical behavior.
I'm not going to, you know,bypass what I think is important
the value, the ethical dilemmaof it.
It's about ensuring that, nomatter what situation you're in
(07:12):
where it can be a situation thatis very, very concerning and
the last thing you want to be inbut how do you act in that
situation defines who we are asindividuals.
Do you act in an ethical andwith integrity type of way, or
do you compromise your integrityand your ethical behavior to do
(07:34):
something that you know iswrong?
But you're doing it to saveface.
You're doing it to makesomebody think that you are
better than who you are.
It's okay to admit mistakes.
So we have to be self-aware, wehave to be transparent on who we
are, have that opencommunication.
It's like a parent to theirchild.
(07:56):
It's about being transparent.
It's about demonstrating whatwas wrong, how they can improve
on what they're doing, andwilling to be vulnerable during
that.
Hey to your child.
We all make mistakes.
I've made these mistakes andI'm trying to help you not have
to make those same mistakes.
So you are creating a genuineand transparent you, not only
(08:20):
within yourself, but within yourchild, that you're helping them
grow up.
So it's just about theopportunity of being whole,
being you, being the best youthat you can be.
And how do you do that?
You practice mindfulness.
You understand your emotionsand your overall inner aspects.
(08:44):
That's one way you begin topractice ensuring that you have
the ability to be authentic anddemonstrate that everywhere you
go.
Being authentic is not I'mauthentic in this moment, but
over here I'm not going to beauthentic.
(09:05):
Authentic does not have an ageattached to it, an age you don't
say hey, I'm 20, now I have tobe authentic, even though
sometimes, growing up and Iexperienced the same level of
concern I felt like I was fakingit.
I felt like I wasn't being theperson that I know I am.
(09:28):
The person that I know I am issomebody that will listen to
others.
Take that advice and try to bea better person.
Try to be a better citizen.
Try to be a better person.
Try to be a better citizen.
Try to be a better spouse, tryto be a better father.
Whatever it is, we have theopportunity to continue to
(09:52):
improve, so we have to acceptthe things that we're not.
That is another application ofbeing able to be better.
So you have to accept yourselfas who you are.
You got to practice beingmindful, understand your
emotions and your inner self.
Build resilience.
(10:13):
What does that mean?
Building resilience means, whentimes get tough, you have to
bounce back, no matter whatpeople are saying about you, no
matter what maybe social mediasays about you, no matter what
your friends say about you, nomatter what your co-workers say
about you, whatever it is.
You have to take that andbounce back, which is part of
(10:35):
that building resilience.
And, more importantly, numberfour is discovering your
strengths.
Most of us have discovered ourstrengths at some point, but
sometimes we forget about thosestrengths.
How does that apply to us?
How does that make us a betterperson?
Our strengths are the key toour openness, our authenticness,
(11:02):
our transparency and ourability to be vulnerable.
Yes, being vulnerable is astrength.
Being vulnerable is anopportunity to share how we can
help others through what maybewe lack in certain capabilities.
(11:24):
For example, if you're a manager, you're a leader of a
corporation, of a small business, whatever it may be, being
vulnerable is okay.
Why?
Because if you don't have someof those key strengths to help
your business evolve and becomebetter, then you hire others
(11:47):
that have those key strengthsthat you don't have to help
balance what you don't have.
Some will say, okay, wait aminute, but what if they're
better than me?
What if I'm hiring somebodythat's stronger than me?
What if they replace me in myjob?
That usually doesn't happen.
Why?
Because ultimately, the personyou hire is will make you, as a
(12:12):
leader, look better.
So I always like to say hirepeople that are smarter than you
.
Hire people that can maybe dothe job better than you can.
They're not going to take yourjob, you're just they're going
to help make you look better andimprove your overall business
and your business structure andthe goals that you have within
(12:35):
the company.
Therefore, you want to use thosevulnerabilities in a way where
they can apply to everyday life,where they can apply to your
business, your family, becausewe are our greatest weakness.
Our greatest weakness iswhatever it is, with the ability
to improve on it.
(12:56):
Sometimes we focus so much onbuilding our strengths.
We know what our strengths are.
We know that, what we're goodat, so we try to refine and
improve and make better.
Now, going back to what we saidearlier, our strengths are not
eating Cheetos by drinking abeverage of choice.
(13:18):
That is not our strength.
That is where we are in amoment of weakness, or maybe on
an authentic way, but it's notthe authentic demonstration we
want to show, because one of themost common ways people
severely limit their potentialand happiness in life is by
(13:39):
living in an authentic versionof themselves.
I've been there, I've done itgrowing up.
I try to be this, I try to bethat.
I may not be that person.
That's not my mold, and I'msure there's cases where you
have tried to be somebody you'renot, and that's not your mold.
Like we said, is it dating?
Is it a job interview?
Is it around your spouse'sfamily, or whatever it may be?
(14:05):
That's how most people live,though, is they live an
inauthentic life?
Why?
Because they're always tryingto impress somebody else.
You know what impressing is.
Impressing is trying to makeyourself look better than who
you are.
Here's a perfect example.
Like I talked about in our lastpodcast, I like to play
(14:26):
basketball.
Well, the authentic basketballplayer in me is I may score here
and there, but I'm probablygoing to miss a lot more than I
make.
I'm slower, I'm not.
I can't keep up very well withthe guys running up and down the
court, but you know, every timeyou go out, you might have a
good day.
(14:47):
You might not have a good day.
For example, this weekend whenI played, I was 0 for 5 or 0 for
6 and didn't make a shot.
Guess what?
That is probably the authenticbasketball player in me.
It's not the one that makesfour three-pointers in a row.
So I realize what my strengthsare in basketball.
(15:09):
It is playing defense, it ishustling, grabbing rebounds.
It is not scoring.
I leave the scoring up toothers, because that's where my
vulnerability is.
Therefore, what?
What does it mean to beauthentic?
Well, authentic is required forbeing successful in any area of
(15:29):
your life, and that is the key.
So I truly believe that mostpeople are confused about what
it means to be authentic.
So let's look at it this waybeing authentic is not accepting
your shortcomings, bad habitsor low standards because that's
who you are.
That goes back to eatingCheetos and drinking beverages
(15:50):
of your choice.
Let's be real.
Authenticity has nothing to dowith sitting on the couch and
eating Cheetos and playing videogames all day.
It is about being comfortableabout who you are while pursuing
the best version of yourself.
(16:12):
It puts you in a situationwhere you are no longer trying
to meet the standards orexpectations of anyone else.
Instead, you are living again.
You are living up to thestandards and expectations you
create for yourself, challengingyourself to become as great as
(16:38):
a you that you could possiblystand because of the effort you
put in, because of the beliefsyou have and the values you have
.
So challenging yourself tobecome as great as a you as
possible.
That is the key.
And again, how do you becomeauthentic?
(16:58):
It requires a moral compass, itrequires integrity, it requires
a clear conscience.
It's about feeling good aboutyourself is living with a good
moral compass, good integrity,and that's the number one way
you should try to be authentic.
(17:19):
Number two is own your ownmistakes.
Be vulnerable and fix them.
We're human, meaning we'regoing to make plenty of mistakes
.
I'm going to make a mistaketoday, I'm sure of it, but that
mistake in itself is not theissue when it comes to
authenticity.
It is the ability to acceptresponsibility, and then we take
(17:44):
the actions to fix it.
It takes hard work.
When you screw up, you figureout a way to fix it.
Number three is identify thecore values and stand firm on
them.
Standing firm on them meansthat's where you find your true
authenticity in life, as ahusband, as a father, as an
employee, as a leader, whereveryou may stand within your future
(18:06):
.
So it's important.
Why?
Because people trustauthenticity.
People are loyal.
When you are authentic to you,it shows you stand for something
you truly believe in, and thatis key.
Do you stand for something thatyou truly believe in?
And then authenticity.
(18:29):
Authenticity is required forhappiness.
I have never met anybody thatwas truly happy, that wasn't
authentic.
Going back to Hollywood again,unfortunately.
How many of those that are actfake are fake, are really
authentic and they really valueauthenticity?
Well, I would like to say a lot, but I would say maybe they
(18:53):
started out being authentic, butthen, as time goes on, you
become inauthentic.
Why?
Because everything is fakearound you, and that's what a
lot of times being famous isabout.
You're living up to somebodyelse's standard, and that should
not conceal the real you.
So, today, what have we learned?
We have learned thatauthenticity is something that
(19:16):
everybody can have.
It is about being the real you.
It's about incorporating allyour strengths that you have
within your inner self, withinyour surrounding friends, family
, to help you become the bestversion of you.
It is not about sitting on yourcouch playing video games,
(19:41):
eating Cheetos.
You can do that for fun,enjoyment, but that should not
be your standard on everydaylife.
So it is, again, it's aboutbeing the best version of you.
And how do you do that?
You start by saying this is whoI am, these are my strengths,
these are my core values, thisis my vulnerabilities, these are
(20:04):
the things that make me who Iam, and that is how I will be
the best version of myself.
So, again, I hope everybodytakes these words of advice and
it helps you, and pass thismessage on to those that you
value, that are important to you.
If you haven't already, pleasesave the podcast on your
(20:26):
favorite platform so when wehave, we record a new podcast,
you'll be able to listen rightaway.
Typically, we record thesepodcasts either on saturday or
sundays on a weekly basis, so weare here and look forward to
the next podcast this upcomingweekend.
I want to thank everybody.
(20:47):
Enjoy your day again.
This is dr jason wiggins and Iam your host of your
motivational Gen Z andmillennial expert podcast.
Thank you, take care and we'llsee you soon, bye, bye.
Hello friends, welcome to your Motivational Gen
Z and Millennial Expert Podcast.
I am your host, my name is DrJason Wiggins and it is
fantastic to be here.
I hope everybody is having agreat day, a great weekend, as
you prepare for the upcomingweek.
Today we got a great show.
(00:20):
We're going to talk about howto be your authentic you, how to
demonstrate that you are theperson that you feel, that you
envision yourself and that youare literally living your best
life.
But before we get started, Idefinitely want to share with
you that our podcast is made forGen Zs and millennials, to
(00:43):
motivate you to get the best outof you, to see you continue to
thrive in life while we canstill have this podcast for any
other group baby boomers, gen X,alphas so let's really ensure
that we share the message ofhelping each other improve, and
(01:04):
that is why we extend thispodcast out, because, at the end
of the day, it's about thrivingas individuals.
So let's start today by talkingabout being authentic.
What does being authentic mean?
We're going to talk aboutexamples, we're going to talk
about applications and we'regoing to talk about how it will
(01:26):
ultimately make the better you.
I always like to start out bysharing an example.
An example and the best exampleI can always use is my
vulnerability, which we'll talkabout, my trials and
tribulations.
And, for example, I grew up notalways liking myself, not
(01:46):
always wanting to be the personI felt like I was, because I
didn't know who I was.
That's part of the growthpattern.
But even into my, even into myadult years, I struggled when I
went on the job interviews.
Instead of being authentic tomyself, being somebody that I
(02:06):
know who I am, you even startpretending who you are.
During an interview process,for example, I normally comb my
hair the same way.
Well, for the job interview, Icombed it down, basically trying
to show that I didn't have muchflair, meaning I was more of a
conservative approach.
And it just wasn't me.
(02:28):
I still got the job and as Iworked at that job, I continued
to change my hair back to theway it was.
It's, for example, it's likedating.
You know, you prepare yourselffor a date, you put on this
fancy show of who you want thatperson to think you are and you
(02:49):
end up demonstrating that maybethat wasn't the real you, maybe
they saw right through it, andthen, obviously, the date might
have been a failure.
And if it was, anything thatyou know brought you continuous
happiness, maybe you acted likeyourself versus somebody you
thought they wanted you to be.
(03:09):
So that's the dating scene.
I haven't been on the datingscene for a long time so I
probably don't really have muchknowledge of that.
Hollywood, hollywood, hollywoodis probably the most fake place
you can imagine.
Everybody's trying to live upto what everybody's expectation
(03:31):
is of them, so authenticity inHollywood is pretty much
non-existence, which is why somany people at times can feel so
lonely.
At times can feel so lonely Agood friend of mine.
He is a producer and directorfor films in the LA San Diego
(03:52):
area and he is one of the mostauthentic, genuine people I know
.
But if I put him right in themiddle of Hollywood, he would be
probably the center of whatauthenticity would be, should be
, in Hollywood.
So those are just some examplesof being authentic, or I should
say, not being authentic.
(04:15):
And so what are the core valuesof being authentic?
It's leading with your trueself.
It doesn't matter if you'retall, fat, skinny, you know.
Whatever it may be, it's whoyou are, it's how you were
(04:35):
embodied, it's how you'velearned to develop.
That doesn't mean we sit home,we eat Cheetos, we drink a
beverage of choice without anycare in the world.
That's not what authenticity is.
Authenticity is the value thatyou bring by bringing yourself
(04:57):
to the table.
So the value, the value is noteating Cheetos and drinking your
favorite beverage of choice.
It is about bringing your bestvalued assets, with your moral
compass, your integrity, andbringing that to the table to
demonstrate that this is thevalue, the strength that I bring
(05:21):
, to being a productive citizenwithin your local region, for
example.
It's about demonstrating yourvulnerabilities.
I am extremely open to asyou've noticed through these
podcasts, I'm more than willingto share my vulnerability.
(05:43):
Why?
Because my vulnerability is myweakness.
My weakness is the desire toimprove, and if you can
demonstrate the desire toimprove, then you're going to
demonstrate the ability to pushon, to move forward, to be a
productive human being.
Forward, to be a productivehuman being.
Now, another key part we talkedabout is being self-aware.
(06:07):
You have to understand who youare, the values that you bring.
Second is you want to betransparent.
You want to be open with yourcommunication.
You want to say, hey, this iswho I am, like it or not, and I
think that's the kind ofattitude that we need to
(06:31):
demonstrate when we're talkingto others, when we're trying to
demonstrate our abilities.
This is who I am, like it ornot.
I'm not refined.
I am like it or not, I'm notrefined.
I'm not going to be somebodythat I'm not.
I'm going to stand here andtake my lumps if I have to, but
I'm going to do it with a moralcompass.
(06:52):
I'm going to do it by havingethical behavior.
I'm not going to, you know,bypass what I think is important
the value, the ethical dilemmaof it.
It's about ensuring that, nomatter what situation you're in
(07:12):
where it can be a situation thatis very, very concerning and
the last thing you want to be inbut how do you act in that
situation defines who we are asindividuals.
Do you act in an ethical andwith integrity type of way, or
do you compromise your integrityand your ethical behavior to do
(07:34):
something that you know iswrong?
But you're doing it to saveface.
You're doing it to makesomebody think that you are
better than who you are.
It's okay to admit mistakes.
So we have to be self-aware, wehave to be transparent on who we
are, have that opencommunication.
It's like a parent to theirchild.
(07:56):
It's about being transparent.
It's about demonstrating whatwas wrong, how they can improve
on what they're doing, andwilling to be vulnerable during
that.
Hey to your child.
We all make mistakes.
I've made these mistakes andI'm trying to help you not have
to make those same mistakes.
So you are creating a genuineand transparent you, not only
(08:20):
within yourself, but within yourchild, that you're helping them
grow up.
So it's just about theopportunity of being whole,
being you, being the best youthat you can be.
And how do you do that?
You practice mindfulness.
You understand your emotionsand your overall inner aspects.
(08:44):
That's one way you begin topractice ensuring that you have
the ability to be authentic anddemonstrate that everywhere you
go.
Being authentic is not I'mauthentic in this moment, but
over here I'm not going to beauthentic.
(09:05):
Authentic does not have an ageattached to it, an age you don't
say hey, I'm 20, now I have tobe authentic, even though
sometimes, growing up and Iexperienced the same level of
concern I felt like I was fakingit.
I felt like I wasn't being theperson that I know I am.
(09:28):
The person that I know I am issomebody that will listen to
others.
Take that advice and try to bea better person.
Try to be a better citizen.
Try to be a better person.
Try to be a better citizen.
Try to be a better spouse, tryto be a better father.
Whatever it is, we have theopportunity to continue to
(09:52):
improve, so we have to acceptthe things that we're not.
That is another application ofbeing able to be better.
So you have to accept yourselfas who you are.
You got to practice beingmindful, understand your
emotions and your inner self.
Build resilience.
(10:13):
What does that mean?
Building resilience means, whentimes get tough, you have to
bounce back, no matter whatpeople are saying about you, no
matter what maybe social mediasays about you, no matter what
your friends say about you, nomatter what your co-workers say
about you, whatever it is.
You have to take that andbounce back, which is part of
(10:35):
that building resilience.
And, more importantly, numberfour is discovering your
strengths.
Most of us have discovered ourstrengths at some point, but
sometimes we forget about thosestrengths.
How does that apply to us?
How does that make us a betterperson?
Our strengths are the key toour openness, our authenticness,
(11:02):
our transparency and ourability to be vulnerable.
Yes, being vulnerable is astrength.
Being vulnerable is anopportunity to share how we can
help others through what maybewe lack in certain capabilities.
(11:24):
For example, if you're a manager, you're a leader of a
corporation, of a small business, whatever it may be, being
vulnerable is okay.
Why?
Because if you don't have someof those key strengths to help
your business evolve and becomebetter, then you hire others
(11:47):
that have those key strengthsthat you don't have to help
balance what you don't have.
Some will say, okay, wait aminute, but what if they're
better than me?
What if I'm hiring somebodythat's stronger than me?
What if they replace me in myjob?
That usually doesn't happen.
Why?
Because ultimately, the personyou hire is will make you, as a
(12:12):
leader, look better.
So I always like to say hirepeople that are smarter than you
.
Hire people that can maybe dothe job better than you can.
They're not going to take yourjob, you're just they're going
to help make you look better andimprove your overall business
and your business structure andthe goals that you have within
(12:35):
the company.
Therefore, you want to use thosevulnerabilities in a way where
they can apply to everyday life,where they can apply to your
business, your family, becausewe are our greatest weakness.
Our greatest weakness iswhatever it is, with the ability
to improve on it.
(12:56):
Sometimes we focus so much onbuilding our strengths.
We know what our strengths are.
We know that, what we're goodat, so we try to refine and
improve and make better.
Now, going back to what we saidearlier, our strengths are not
eating Cheetos by drinking abeverage of choice.
(13:18):
That is not our strength.
That is where we are in amoment of weakness, or maybe on
an authentic way, but it's notthe authentic demonstration we
want to show, because one of themost common ways people
severely limit their potentialand happiness in life is by
(13:39):
living in an authentic versionof themselves.
I've been there, I've done itgrowing up.
I try to be this, I try to bethat.
I may not be that person.
That's not my mold, and I'msure there's cases where you
have tried to be somebody you'renot, and that's not your mold.
Like we said, is it dating?
Is it a job interview?
Is it around your spouse'sfamily, or whatever it may be?
(14:05):
That's how most people live,though, is they live an
inauthentic life?
Why?
Because they're always tryingto impress somebody else.
You know what impressing is.
Impressing is trying to makeyourself look better than who
you are.
Here's a perfect example.
Like I talked about in our lastpodcast, I like to play
(14:26):
basketball.
Well, the authentic basketballplayer in me is I may score here
and there, but I'm probablygoing to miss a lot more than I
make.
I'm slower, I'm not.
I can't keep up very well withthe guys running up and down the
court, but you know, every timeyou go out, you might have a
good day.
(14:47):
You might not have a good day.
For example, this weekend whenI played, I was 0 for 5 or 0 for
6 and didn't make a shot.
Guess what?
That is probably the authenticbasketball player in me.
It's not the one that makesfour three-pointers in a row.
So I realize what my strengthsare in basketball.
(15:09):
It is playing defense, it ishustling, grabbing rebounds.
It is not scoring.
I leave the scoring up toothers, because that's where my
vulnerability is.
Therefore, what?
What does it mean to beauthentic?
Well, authentic is required forbeing successful in any area of
(15:29):
your life, and that is the key.
So I truly believe that mostpeople are confused about what
it means to be authentic.
So let's look at it this waybeing authentic is not accepting
your shortcomings, bad habitsor low standards because that's
who you are.
That goes back to eatingCheetos and drinking beverages
(15:50):
of your choice.
Let's be real.
Authenticity has nothing to dowith sitting on the couch and
eating Cheetos and playing videogames all day.
It is about being comfortableabout who you are while pursuing
the best version of yourself.
(16:12):
It puts you in a situationwhere you are no longer trying
to meet the standards orexpectations of anyone else.
Instead, you are living again.
You are living up to thestandards and expectations you
create for yourself, challengingyourself to become as great as
(16:38):
a you that you could possiblystand because of the effort you
put in, because of the beliefsyou have and the values you have
.
So challenging yourself tobecome as great as a you as
possible.
That is the key.
And again, how do you becomeauthentic?
(16:58):
It requires a moral compass, itrequires integrity, it requires
a clear conscience.
It's about feeling good aboutyourself is living with a good
moral compass, good integrity,and that's the number one way
you should try to be authentic.
(17:19):
Number two is own your ownmistakes.
Be vulnerable and fix them.
We're human, meaning we'regoing to make plenty of mistakes
.
I'm going to make a mistaketoday, I'm sure of it, but that
mistake in itself is not theissue when it comes to
authenticity.
It is the ability to acceptresponsibility, and then we take
(17:44):
the actions to fix it.
It takes hard work.
When you screw up, you figureout a way to fix it.
Number three is identify thecore values and stand firm on
them.
Standing firm on them meansthat's where you find your true
authenticity in life, as ahusband, as a father, as an
employee, as a leader, whereveryou may stand within your future
(18:06):
.
So it's important.
Why?
Because people trustauthenticity.
People are loyal.
When you are authentic to you,it shows you stand for something
you truly believe in, and thatis key.
Do you stand for something thatyou truly believe in?
And then authenticity.
(18:29):
Authenticity is required forhappiness.
I have never met anybody thatwas truly happy, that wasn't
authentic.
Going back to Hollywood again,unfortunately.
How many of those that are actfake are fake, are really
authentic and they really valueauthenticity?
Well, I would like to say a lot, but I would say maybe they
(18:53):
started out being authentic, butthen, as time goes on, you
become inauthentic.
Why?
Because everything is fakearound you, and that's what a
lot of times being famous isabout.
You're living up to somebodyelse's standard, and that should
not conceal the real you.
So, today, what have we learned?
We have learned thatauthenticity is something that
(19:16):
everybody can have.
It is about being the real you.
It's about incorporating allyour strengths that you have
within your inner self, withinyour surrounding friends, family
, to help you become the bestversion of you.
It is not about sitting on yourcouch playing video games,
(19:41):
eating Cheetos.
You can do that for fun,enjoyment, but that should not
be your standard on everydaylife.
So it is, again, it's aboutbeing the best version of you.
And how do you do that?
You start by saying this is whoI am, these are my strengths,
these are my core values, thisis my vulnerabilities, these are
(20:04):
the things that make me who Iam, and that is how I will be
the best version of myself.
So, again, I hope everybodytakes these words of advice and
it helps you, and pass thismessage on to those that you
value, that are important to you.
If you haven't already, pleasesave the podcast on your
(20:26):
favorite platform so when wehave, we record a new podcast,
you'll be able to listen rightaway.
Typically, we record thesepodcasts either on saturday or
sundays on a weekly basis, so weare here and look forward to
the next podcast this upcomingweekend.
I want to thank everybody.
(20:47):
Enjoy your day again.
This is dr jason wiggins and Iam your host of your
motivational Gen Z andmillennial expert podcast.
Thank you, take care and we'llsee you soon, bye, bye.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com