Are You Legit?
It’s not easy.
I mean pretty much every force in the world is trying to pull you in a different direction. Is it even worth it? It’s almost like friends, jobs, corporations, girls, parents, douchebags, “the man” and everyone else has their own gravitational pull, and collectively the forces pulling you in every direction can be tremendous. I don’t know if I can keep “being myself” forever. Maybe the pressures of “the real world” will get to be too much and I will have to sacrifice my authenticity. Maybe I’ll fall in love with a girl who wants to change me, and since she is “hella fine” I will have no choice but to compromise my values so I can keep “getting laid”. Maybe I’ll get a job where my boss doesn’t understand me and will want me to act out “his vision of professionalism,” which is probably some prick asshole with no personality and super lame “dad ties.” He won’t understand youth culture and will not honor the currency of cool I have spent years accumulating. But since I will be getting paid “hella cash” I will stick around for years and slowly forget “who I am.”
If you want to be legit I think you have so make some real sacrifices. Being legit implies separating yourself from the expectations of everyone around you. Doing “what you think you’re supposed to do” is the opposite of being legit because you are letting the voices of others make your decisions. You either have to listen to yourself and your own core values or to the voices of “everyone else,” which is much easier because the collective voice of society is much louder than your internal voice. Average people think everyone else knows best and will too often take the opinions of others as direction for their life. This seems insane. I mean it’s important to consider other opinions and not be narrow-minded, but you’ve got to respect your own voice first and foremost.
IT’S LIKE WHAT DYLAN SAID
OR WHAT SOCRATES SAID
I think these bros were right. But it’s not so easy. How can you as a person stay true to “who you are” and how can your company / brand stay authentic? I mean there is tons of pressure to compromise. You gotta pay the bills. You gotta agree with your friends / co-workers because you want them to like you. These are some of the excuses that start you down the slippery slope from legit to lame. It is legit to be honest with yourself and others. But it is important to realize that if you want to be legit you may have to go through the scary process of re-thinking your life. I mean if you feel like you’re compromising your dreams maybe you’re doing the wrong thing.
Are you legit or not? It has to be one or the other. Does your brand offer a product that you truly believe in? Does your company have a true purpose and vision? Are you offering more to the world than small talk and nods of the head? Just asking. Cause I think we’d all be happier if we followed our dreams and did what we felt was right. If your product is not legit, I am not giving you my money. Simple as that. Life is too short for bullshit.
Maybe I won’t be legit forever. I mean there are so many twists and turns in life it’s veryy easy to lose your way. I may have moments of weakness when I turn into a lame douchebag. I may get too distracted or stressed out, forget how to chill and start bumming people out. As the saying goes, “to fuck up is human but remembering how to chill out is totally legit.” But my point is that I don’t “hate Mondays” or “thank god it’s Friday” because I believe every single day is important. If you want to be legit you can’t drift through the week just so you can unwind and start it all over again. When you are legit you never sleep. You never stop working. You don’t take a day off because your life’s work is your lifestyle. Your work is your fun is your education is your vacation is your heartbreak is your passion. Life should be one cohesive motion toward the singular goal of fulfillment.
What do you do to create momentum toward your dreams?
Is your lifestyle an authentic expression of “who you are”?
Are you who you want to be, or who “they” want you to be?
Are all your thoughts and actions consistent?
comment
I liked this post a lot. I feel like you and I both come at the world with something fresh and “legit.” Reading it made me further realize that all my actions and decisions not only represent my “brand” but also are part of my bigger picture- the end goals and fulfillment. Reaaaaaal talk.
I’m too legit to quit, James.
Is quoting MC Hammer bad for my personal brand?
In all seriousness you bring up a great point. People should always be working to be in the place they want to be. If they don’t know what that is, they should be trying to figure it out.
I like the legit/not legit chart.
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i just read this
i am going to finish my 4 lab reports before i go to bed now
thx for the motivation