You be their proof of concept.
“For kids to believe they can be who they want to be, do what they want to do, and accomplish what they set out to accomplish, they need a real frame of reference.
Be that for them.
Be unapologetically authentic.
Be unrealistically ambitious.
Be unreasonably disciplined.”
-Ray Zingler on X
Think about all the people you know who can’t authentically express themselves without receiving backlash or losing a job.
I am who I am and I am not going to hide from that.
Especially in a day and age where people work tirelessly to dress themselves up to impress people and strangers on the internet, who don’t even care about them.
In fact, most of these people who fence ride and try to be liked by all are usually liked by none.
And what I’ve learned about being authentic is that the right people will find you in your lane, while the people who were never going to resonate with even a watered down, fake version of you, won’t. At least in the long run.
I would rather be disliked for who I am than loved for who I’m not.
The reason I feel authenticity is so important is because it sets the table for success.
And success, real success, is what I want to see kids attain.
I tell them all the time, if you spend any time doctoring yourself in attempt to project who you’re not, you eat up valuable bandwidth that success requires.
When you’re authentic, things just flow naturally. It’s because you don’t have to put fourth any effort into being real. You just get to be. Talk about a liberating feeling.
Beyond authenticity, another thing that I feel is extremely important is unrealistic ambition.
I don’t just “kinda want it” I am full blown obsessed with it 365 days a year. Morning, noon, night, every day, regardless of how I am feeling, I am working in the pursuit of perfection at my craft with unrealistic intensity.
And to fuel that intensity, I try like crazy to match it with discipline.
It’s why I read, write, study, and train every day. Every single day.
I am casting votes of affirmation for the person I claim to be.
But why?
Why do I do this?
I can assure you it’s not about me.
It’s about my kids. My own and the ones I mentor.
I want them to be all they can be.
And I’m going to work tirelessly to give them a tangible example of proof that they can be.
