Act As If....Authentically

We have all heard the phrase "act as if." Ben Affleck gave such a speech in the movie "Boiler Room." In that movie he told his young band of stock brokers to act as if they were the stars of the company. Norman Vincent Peale said "If you put off everything till you're sure of it, you'll never get anything done." In other words, if you take action to achieve until you are guaranteed success, you'll never get going.


 We agree with this principle. If you're happy and you know it, tell your face. If you want to be the bank manager, but you are a teller, then dress, speak, and act like a bank manager. It will set you apart from the others. If you want to be an "A" student, guard your self talk and ask a lot of questions. Intelligence does not mean knowing all the answers, rather it means continually seeking truth and knowledge. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says "He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who never asks is a fool for eternity." 

 Where we stray from this principle is regarding your authentic self. There are many things we would like to be, to do, to achieve. However do these play into our strengths, our wiring, or or calling? Some take a stab at being an insurance agent because it's an "opportunity," but many fail because it is not their calling. Perhaps they are an introvert and despise networking. Perhaps, they've never lost a love one and suffered the burden of a funeral. 

John Maxwell rightly acknowledges people do not come to see him sing. Why? Because he is a speaker, a motivator, but not a singer. They would go running out the door if he began to sing. If John acted as if he were the next Luciano Pavarotti, he'd remain a million record sales short of reaching platinum.

 So to be successful act as if in accordance with your strengths, abilities, and calling. Otherwise you will likely live life as an authentic fake. The results will be dismal. So act as if authentically.

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