Why Being Your Authentic Self is Critical to Everything You Do

This is a slightly personal post that I am sharing here but it has a lot of significance to it. At the weekend I celebrated turning 12 - as September marks my Trans birthday.

It's been a very eventful 12 years to put it lightly and I have had many adventures along the way. What I thought about then and what I’ve learned is that being your authentic self is something that is invaluable and is critical to everything you do in life and where your potential will end up.

I transitioned to be honest and live the life that I wanted. It’s taken a while and there have been set backs but every day I never have had any regrets.

It's been empowering to work with many different people and working in DE&I has enabled me to be part of a change that has meant people have started thinking and behaving differently - not just to Trans and Non-Binary people but for everyone.

When you are part of a marginalized community you do notice that the world isn't always designed for you.

I have benefitted from people that are visible and active allies, I've also valued and appreciated people that have been willing to think differently, to put in the work to be more inclusive and lead from the front.

I also acknowlege the privileges I have and ensure that I use them for good and also make sure that I keep learning and step up as an ally too. It’s an ongoing learning but one I will never stop.

This isn’t part of my job and being kind and respectful to others isn't and shouldn't be part of anyone’s ‘job’ but a fundamental responsibility we ALL have in terms of being a decent human to others.

Things haven’t always been easy and there is a lot of misinformation and fear around Trans and Non-Binary people, however I am also blessed to have worked with and met many people who are kind, courageous and truly inclusive and are committed not just to nailing their business objectives but remember to be people too and let their people be people!

We're all different and that difference is what needs to be celebrated but also understood but wherever possible not feared.

Fear causes so many problems for us and is what holds us back personally and professionally.

In short:

Be yourself.
Even if it's scary you really can change anything in life if you know what it is.
Life is always enhanced with tea and cake.

Leng