Authenticity

Authentic. adjective. Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief. In these days of "keeping it 100," "being a bad bish," and "keepin' it real," we have lost ourselves. I mean, we fake it. We're all faking it about something. And that is ok. Imagine if we stopped laughing or smiling. Picture a world where you don't have kids looking to you for guidance through tough times, never being able to push past the heartbreaking anguish of missing your dead parent, or the lost of your ability to hide all the ish you know you don't want anyone to know. For me, authentic is about being vulnerable, not feigning invincibility or perfection. It's about being grown, even when I want to engage in all the childish bs swirling overhead. It's about crying sometimes, even when I want to keep smiling. We all use social media for our own purposes. I didn't feel compelled to make mine an Islamic page. It is inherently so. I am a Muslim. I pray that I never say anything that comes across as arrogant, as I am nothing more than a Lover and servant. I am a person. With all the shortcomings and flaws that our frail humanity encompasses. I have not always been this way. There was a time when I tried to be utterly and completely perfect. I got so caught up in the pursuit of perfection that I sacrificed my authenticity. I robbed myself of evolution and elevation in my refusal to show vulnerability. Pain is often the nemesis of authenticity, but always standing in the way of it. So, I won't always smile. I won't always be in the best frame of mind. Or using the best perspective. I am authentically, unapologetically, undeniably imperfect. In those moments, I pray that someone will be praying for me instead of preying on me.