Genuine.

Three syllables, yet the term itself seems to be so mind boggling for so many people. Being genuine is so much more than being a nice person, its an embodiment. It is caring for everyone in your life regardless of if they know or not. It is putting other people first sometimes when you know they need it more than you do.

Recently, I have found myself in situations where it was not easy to be a genuine person. But think about it, it’s a chain reaction. It is as easy as smiling at a stranger at the grocery store, or reminding somebody you may not always talk to that you are there for them. You could just spark something in that stranger that makes them want to go and do the same as you did. It is the small gestures that add up and eventually positively consume who you are as a person. Biting the bullet, being the bigger persona and being genuine have so much more of an affect than you may realize in that moment.

However, this being said, I will say being too genuine can sometimes be extremely frustrating. You may get taken for granted, taken advantage of, or just seen as a weak person, maybe even “too nice”, and lets be real, that sucks. It is important to find a balance between the two. You may need to put yourself in a place where it wont end up jeopardizing your own happiness and well-being. That is something that has taken me an extremely long time to figure out and come to terms with. You don’t have to constantly be doing generous or genuine things to be a genuine person you just need to know that you are genuine and that at some points things that are going on with other people in your life is just out of your hands. You can only do so much, so don’t sweat it.

I have encountered way too many people in my life that are just so cold and non genuine and it truly blows my mind. Maybe it’s the way I was raised, or just different values but I just think it is so important to be a wholesome and kind person. You would be surprised at the things that go on behind huge smiles and closed doors. Be genuine. It is so so important. As a role model of mine, Ellen Degeneres would say,“Be kind to one another”. The outcome will affect your world more than you may ever realize.