The Secret to Being Real

Who do you know who you’d describe as real? Are they funny? Are they outrageous? Do they tell a great story? Do you just agree with their point of view? Are they real because you relate to their human-ness? What are the ingredients for being real?

Is there such a thing as being too real? Have you met people who tell you more than you wanted to know? Leave little to your imagination? Do they get too close, too quick?

On the other hand, consider this: Maybe being real is actually found inside the listener, not inside the speaker. I experience your realness because you’ve touched something in me that feels the same.

If people are making up who we are because of who they are, how can we manage the message … the impression … the impact we want to have? How can we express our realness?

Check out Brene Brown’s talk on Vulnerability.

If vulnerability is one ingredient for being real, what does that say about how we present ourselves? If telling on myself makes me more real to others, could that be the secret sauce to getting a real response? Crazy, huh? Crazy because most of us are trying very hard not to let others see us sweat. We’re used to putting on our armor and heading out to face the world. Should we be doing the opposite … peeling away the layers to get to our realness?

What do we risk?
What other emotions might rear their ugly heads?
Get real in the comments below.