Putting your best foot forward is one thing – and it’s often a courteous and considerate thing to do. But pretending to be who or what you are not is another – and a not so delightful thing to those who seek sincerity and authenticity.

I’ve encountered so many fakes online over the years that I often wondered whether I was attending a year-round Halloween party. But I’ve also met some wonderful, genuine individuals who’ve added something special to my life as I hope I’ve added to theirs – whether as a writer or teacher or just as a pal whom they’ve met via my personal timeline.

It is always best to be oneself. rather than to try to please the world. Sure, some will drop off if they determine that you aren’t the type of friend they’d like. But there’ll be others who’ll ask to come into your life because they see in you something that is of value and bona fide.

As we go through life, we all mature, we sometimes correct errors of the past, or see life a bit differently than we did the day before. It is then appropriate to re-focus, to adapt…even to change so that we “better” ourselves along the way. No one is perfect and we all live and hopefully learn.

Until those events occur, though, where one sees the need to change one’s tempo, or to modify, to add or to subtract, it serves one better to be oneself at all times – with sensitivity to others and consideration that we must live and let live.

Everyone is unique. Being a facsimile of another not only creates a
false persona, it can one day boomerang and take down others along with you – leaving the real you to pick up the pieces.