"A day that changed my life"

It was Saturday October 18, 2003, a record cold day, I attended an Entrepreneurial Seminar at the Brookdale Center at Hunter College in New York City. This seminar was hosted by Munson Steed, the Publisher of rolling out Urban Style Weekly and this event came to by attention by the local radio station that ran the ad.

The seminar was very informative and I was particularly impressed by the speech from Munson Steed, who talked about motivation, wealth building, networking, and entrepreneurship etc. His views and his work to help the community also left an impression on me. As a result, I have since followed his work and became a regular reader of his editorials and this particular one I would like to share with my readers.


Dual Reflections

Sometimes, it’s difficult to see ourselves as we truly are. Some of us live our entire lives without a clear perception of whether our public face is a sanitized version of who we actually are or a fair representation. We choose a public face to wear, and then promptly forget that it’s a façade. So, not only is it easy to get caught up in our own propaganda, it’s inevitable.
It’s bad enough when we lie to others, but it’s an unmitigated tragedy to deceive your own self. The only way to build integrity is to honor your word. Do what you say you will do. Be where you say you will be. Arrive at the time you say you will. When our words and actions don’t jibe, a schism develops between our public and self-image and our credibility goes south. Over time, the chasm that results from our duality can lead to physical and psychological illness. Constantly struggling to put forth a good face—all while one’s foundation is crumbling—is more than a strain; it’s psychotic.
There comes a time when we must begin to be the person we purport ourselves to be. Individuals have to make the determination to be who they claim themselves to be, not who they want to be or who they’re striving to become. Our fellow human beings are not mind readers, the only thing they know about us is what we tell them or what our actions show them. The world can only gauge who you are superficially. Others can’t see past your outer trappings to your inner soul. In order to lead healthier lives, it behooves us to communicate openly and honestly and to live as authentically true to ourselves as possible.
There is no magic formula or genie in a jar that we can tap into to help us project an accurate image of the self who lives inside of us. But, life is a lot easier to deal with when you discard the smoke, mirrors and subterfuge and embrace your wholly real, inimitable self. Your brain can relax and perform all sorts of unbelievable functions, when it doesn’t have to keep track of your latest persona’s quirks. Don’t lose who you are while you’re out there trying to impress the world.
Peace.
Munson Steed, Publisher

A quality publication, Thanks Munson, for your inspiration.

Best,

Andy G. Rodie