At times  we all can put on a little act to try to be someone we are not. If you are aspiring to become a better you, it’s perfectly alright. It’s when we try to be someone we really aren’t in order to impress other that we get into trouble.  Being someone else is not only unsustainable, it’s dishonest to you and to others.

Anytime I have “tried to impress” or be someone I was not, things did not work in my favor.  I remember a friend in college who was into cycling. I tried to impress him by talking how I liked to ride as well. That was not a good idea, he put me to the test one fateful Saturday morning. I knew things were off to a bad start when I saw his side long glances at my childhood bike. He was kind enough not to say anything right away. I was saved for the moment. We started off and it was obvious he wasn’t putting his all into the ride and he realized I wasn’t really the athlete I led him to believe I was. It was after we had gotten down the road that things really started to fall apart.  While we weren’t going fast I was also not able to go far.

After the ride, we started to drift apart and our friendship eventually dissolved. I know it wasn’t because of my lack of ability on the bicycle, it was because I wasn’t true to who I was. Be true to yourself, and be proud of your accomplishments and talents. Then you will find friends who like you for you and not just because you do the things they do.