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If It Ain’t Authentic, It Ain’t Sustainable

In a recent issue of Dixie “Dynamite” Gillaspie’s terrific Daily Dose of Dynamite she brilliantly wrote:

“Any success that does not allow you to be fully yourself is not sustainable.”

In my interpretation of this statement, there are three important concepts: “success,” “authenticity” (fully yourself), and “sustainable.”

While success can be defined in a number of ways, the modifier, “any” would indicate a specific victory or accomplishment.

If you had to somehow veer from your authentic nature in order to achieve this victory then two questions should be asked:

Will you feel good about it or get that kind of … yucky feeling that often comes with a lack of congruency?
Can that success last or sustain itself? Or, like the person who’d like to believe they are kind and loving at home while ruthless and dishonest at work, will that incongruity soon give way to the proverbial house of cards tumbling down?

While a specific success or victory can indeed be accomplished inauthentically, it probably won’t last. And, of course, in an overall context, could anything that is not authentic really be considered “success”?

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For a shot of quick (and definitely authentic) daily inspiration, subscribe to Dixie “Dynamite” Gillaspie’s Daily Dose Of Dynamite.

This article was originally published by Bob Burg

Published: October 23, 2013
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Bob Burg

Bob Burg shares information on topics vital to the success of today's business person. He speaks for Fortune 500 companies, franchises, and numerous direct sales organizations. Bob’s audiences range from 50 to 16,000, and he shares the platform with today's top thought leaders, broadcast personalities, Olympic athletes and political leaders including a former United States President. He is the author of the widely-read Endless Referrals, and the WSJ best-selling business parable, The Go-Giver (coauthored with John David Mann). Bob’s newest book is Adversaries Into Allies, which draws on his own experiences and the stories of other influential people.