Authentic

From Ad Age

   There are a lot of scary things in the world, that's no secret. Hurricanes, violence, volcano erruptions, war, corrupt politicians, but one of the most common fears people seem to have, is to be honest with the world about themselves. Because "faking it" is easy, it comes with no price if it fails, it's very easy to be liked, socially accepted or popular, depending on what you want to acheive of course.
   Being honest about yourself is a lot more scary. It opens you up for mockery, disbelief, doubt, getting strange looks, and sometimes even hatred. Because you're not going to care if someone dislikes you for the things you fake, you care when they hate you for the things you love or support.
   I remember what it felt like to start being open about my personality, my illnesses and my hopes, dreams and beliefs on the internet. I was completely horrified, I was so scared, because it felt like I was going to get made fun of for everything I shared, but I couldn't have been more wrong. People supported me, my choices and my beliefs, told me I was brave, intelligent and supported me in every way they could. Sharing my real self was the most scary and most wonderful thing I've ever done.
   Sharing true and authentic things is always an insanely scary thing, but it pays off, trust me. I'm happier than ever, because being honest about myself opened up a platform where I can always be honest, and people accept and relate to everything I share.
   I know it's something scary to a lot of people, which means it's probably scary for you, reading this, too. But going through faking it your entire life isn't worth it either, trust me, because I know. I know just what it's like to be scared of being honest, to be scared of being judged or hated based off what you believe, or even worse: who you are.
   So this is me. I'm a 21 year old Finnish activist, I love the smell of the ocean and the way grass smells in summer after it rains. I believe that equal rights for everyone should be obvious, that the death penalty is barbaric and that women and men should be socioeconomically equal. I value nature, a good book, and crime shows. I'm most often happy, inspired and hardworking, I struggle with depression and sometimes, when I'm already feeling bad, social anxiety. I laugh loudly, talk a lot and I either love or hate things, there's no in between. I'm messy and have a hard time talking about my feelings.
   Trust me, it is a thousand times more easy to be honest, and it will open up lots of different opportunities for you, that you will not get otherwise. Honesty is really the best policy, and nothing can change that.