We get a lot of payoff in our society for being inauthentic. We grew up learning how to pretend to be what we thought other people wanted us to be. We are taught that we receive love and approval from others based on how well we conform to what they want from us. The price tag for that kind of approval is far too high. We give up our own sense of self-worth when we change who we are in order to get someone else’s approval.

You might be thinking, Naw, Randy, that’s not me. I’m not that guy. I’m not a fake.

I didn’t think I was that guy, either. But as I delved deeper and deeper into personal growth, I realized that I was inauthentic most of the time.