Authenticity. Transparency. Intimacy.

I am currently in the middle of reading #struggles by Craig Groeschel, and there is so much to take from it so far. I really enjoyed (and highlighted a lot of!) the third chapter, Revealing Authenticity. The title of the chapter is pretty self explanatory, but his point is that we live in a world where we are continuously editing ourselves to create an image of how we want to be seen. He uses Facebook and Instagram posts as examples. He actually quotes Beth Moore in this chapter, which is the quote I wanted to note:

"Be Authentic with all. Transparent with most. And intimate with some."

I really like this. So simple, yet so thought-provoking. In the world of social media, some (or most of us!) of us have the tendency to edit our images and share posts that create the idea that our lives are peachy and perfect. But it isn’t just social media either. We have the tendency to only ever share good news - happy, happy, happy! However, we all know that life is in no way perfect, so why is it so difficult to let the imperfections be seen? Next, transparency. I think transparency is so important - in life, in business, in relationships, everywhere. Transparency creates trust and credibility. It is so important. It even has an impact in social media. If you need feel the need to share something, don't make it some ambiguous post - be honest, genuine, and transparent. Otherwise, why are you sharing? The last part – be intimate with some – that one is key right now with social media. So many people pour private details of their lives all over the internet. That information (or those pictures) should not be shared with the world. To me, this ties in to respect and sensitivity. We have lost respect or sensitivity for those “intimate” moments that should be kept between only a few.

As I said… a short statement, but it packs so much behind it: "Be Authentic with all. Transparent with most. And intimate with some". Let's reveal the real us to everyone, while remembering to keep private moments and information, private.