Realness. Being real. Staying real. Keepin it real. I guess if you want see me say it..keepin it 100. All these things relate to a quality that is too often lost on people these days.
If we’d ask Morpheus, the dude from the Matrix and the meme depending on your age and/or film buffiness; he’d tell us that “real” is just electrical impulses interpreted by our brains. Of course, we aren’t buying that, and need a bit more, if we’re being honest (or real..) with ourselves.
The Urban Dictionary defines it a little differently , but the idea is, that’s your own. It’s your way of doing things. It’s your “Real”.
What is your Real worth to people? Do you just give people your Real unabashed? If so, is that always a good thing? Or does it make you feel/appear naive? Do you even know what your Real is, or do you constantly give off so much of a front that you’ve forgotten what your Real even looks like? Sounds like? Feels like?
It seems like people are also pretty content to sacrifice their Real in order to maintain the status quo. People will actually remain in a position, a life situation, or a problem..WILLINGLY..because the status quo is too important. Their Real was given up a long time ago, usually in favor of someone else’s Real. It’s typically seen in relationships, but it can happen professionally as well. I see people all the time sacrificing their Real to make a quick buck, impress a client, get an interview. I also see those same people become exposed just about as quickly, and they’re almost always worse off than where they first began. Had they just kept hold of their Real, they likely would have gotten what they were seeking anyway, but instead they lose out. People all the time stay in bad relationships because they don’t want to be a jerk. Because they are hoping for the “one fine day” scenario. Sacrificing their own Real in order to protect someone else’s. Had they stayed true to their own Real, it’s likely that they wouldn’t have missed out on so much, and often times on the person that makes them the most happy. I’m not saying there’s no merit to sticking it out, but why? If you have to be different just to be someone’s version of perfect, then who’s the real victim? I don’t know, maybe I’m just too pragmatic for my own good.
I go through a Real check up after every 3-4 months, depending on what I’ve been up to or where I’ve been. In the past, my little checkups had required a major overhaul. I was just doing too much to try to impress everyone, so, I had to remember who I was and where I was (thank you Mr. Baer for the lifelong quote). I would suggest you all take a moment and define what your Real is. What does it look like, feel like, and sound like? How important is it for you to protect it? Are you willing to change your Real? As with so many things in my life, and advice I’ve given; if you have a hesitation on these questions, or if these questions cause you to come up with your own questions, odds are you already have your answer. If that’s true, what’s the biggest hurdle between you and the change you know you need to make (or want to make) in your life? Everything great in this world is only a choice away. And it’s easier to get to than you may think. It really only requires two things; asking yourself the question “What if?”, and the decision to take that first step off the ledge of your comfort zone. What’s it worth to you? How hard do you want to fight to protect your Real?
Until next time; keep ambition in your heart, logic in your mind, and allow yourself to continue the pursuit.
The Pursuit of Somebodyness 