Lance Armstrong admitted he lied about doping during his illustrious cycling career. Manti Te’o is either the victim or the perpetrator of a hoax involving a non-existent girlfriend. Recent media coverage on these popular athletes has forced us all to take another look at what’s real and what’s not. More importantly, we’re getting a first hand look at what some people will do to reach a certain point or take advantage of others. We can ask ourselves why people do the things that they do, but it may not tell the whole story.
We’ve all heard the phrase fake it until you make it. It refers to fitting in until you feel that you are actually in whether it’s a job, a relationship or social status. But how far are we willing to go to get there? Do we even need to get there? And where is this mystical place called there anyway?
It took me a while to discover who I really was. We all grow up wanting to fit in and be popular, but the reality is we don’t need to fit this ideal mold that only exists our heads. I have this running fear/joke that I will be found out as a fraud as far as Government Relations is concerned. Why? Because for the longest time, I was convinced that since I didn’t take the “typical” career path of a lobbyist or even looked like one, there was no way I could actually be one.
The beauty of maturity is that you realize that faking it until you make it is a lie. The atypical path we all take is proof that we’ve made it. It was meant for me to stay in DC for college and grad school. It was meant for me to be an association lobbyist. It was meant for me to not marry the boyfriend I had in my 20’s. These are not deficiencies. These are my truths. Your truth is that place where you are happiest even when others may not understand. It makes you feel whole, alive and fearless.
Your truth won’t keep you up at night. Being fake will.
Association Advocacy Chick 