As a kid, I loved playing with silicon breast implants. No joke. They were all over my parents office on display for patients to look at and play with.  This was before they shifted to salt water filled breast implants due to cancer risk.  I didn’t know the difference.  I didn’t even know what they were used for. Seriously. They were just super fun to play with.  Like stretchy stress balls but more fun.  I could juggle them.  Whip them around  the room like frisbees.  Or, just mush them around like a gelatinous putty.  By the way, I never claimed to have a normal childhood. And don’t worry, the ones I were flinging around the room were only for display purposes.

My mom was a Filipino, plastic surgeon living and working in the New York/Connecticut area.  She loved her non-authentic Gucci bags and other high end brands.  Even culturally Filipinos love their brand names.  My brother, sister and I grew up caring deeply about our public perception.  It wasn’t wrong.  It just was.  As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of being your genuine self, free from overt influence by social media or other external forces. 

Being your most authentic, genuine self is …

• Being vulnerable.
• Being humble.
• Being honest.
• Knowing who you are.
• Being comfortable in your own skin.
• Connecting what you say with how you act.
• Finding your true confidence.
• A representation of true leadership.
• Being human. 

Social Media has ruined all of us.  I can’t tell what is real anymore. We are viewing the lives of others through a narrow and highly curated lens. We are seeing what most folks want us to see and then we are subconsciously comparing the entirety of our lives to that.

We all must find our most authentic, genuine self and be proud of it. Care less what others think of you. Be who you are and do the things that make you happy.

Thank you for reading.  I appreciate you. 

-rjm