LESSON FIVE: BE AUTHENTIC
“Just ‘Cuz You Were Invited to Jump Off a Cliff Doesn’t Mean You Do It”
NOTE: Throughout the month of July, I will be writing about and sharing a short list of five “lessons learned” from my mother (Mimi) and grandmother (her mother, Nana).
Lessons from Mimi & Nana:
Publishing Wisdom Before I Knew It Was Publishing Wisdom
One of my favorite pieces of advice from Mimi was simple:
“Just because you were invited to jump off a cliff, it doesn’t mean you do it.”
Like most great life lessons, it was delivered long before I truly understood its value. At the time, she was reminding me not to follow the crowd. Not every popular idea is a good one. Not every trend is worth chasing, and not every invitation deserves a “yes.”
Years later, I find myself thinking about that lesson more than ever. Especially in business, especially in publishing; especially in a world where everyone seems to be telling us what we should do next.
Follow this strategy. Use this platform. Copy this formula. Write this kind of book. Build your business this way. Market yourself that way. Say this. Don’t say that. The pressure to fit in can be overwhelming.
Which is ironic because some of the most successful people I know didn’t succeed by following the crowd. They succeeded because they were willing to trust themselves.
Years ago, I heard Milton Glaser, the father of modern graphic design, speak at a conference (he’s the guy who created the iconic “I❤️NY” logo). The only note on my spiral page that day was, “Only the best ideas are stolen.” His “I❤️NY” has been reproduced without permission more than any other modern-day slogan — from “I❤️My Poodle” to “I❤️Dave’s Donuts!”
After more than two decades in publishing, I’ve seen enough borrowed ideas, recycled concepts, and copied frameworks to know there’s some truth behind the “Only the best ideas are stolen” statement.
Good ideas spread. They always have.
But here’s what I’ve learned: An idea can be copied.
Authenticity cannot.
Someone can borrow your outline. Someone can imitate your title. Someone can recreate your marketing strategy. But no one can duplicate your experiences. Your perspective. Your values. Your voice. Your story.
That’s why authenticity matters.
Not because it makes you different for the sake of being different.
But because it keeps you aligned with who you truly are.
I often meet aspiring authors who hesitate to share their message because they think someone else has already written about the topic. My response is always the same . . .
Yes. But they didn’t write your book. They didn’t live your journey. They didn’t learn your lessons. They didn’t develop your perspective . . . and they can’t tell your story the way you can.
That’s what readers connect with.
Not perfection. Not trends. Not imitation.
Readers want authenticity.
The older I get, the more I believe authenticity requires courage.
It takes courage to say . . .
“That’s not the right path for me.”
“That’s not my message.”
“That’s not how I want to serve people.”
“That’s not who I am.”
Sometimes authenticity means standing apart from the crowd. Sometimes it means resisting the pressure to follow the latest trend. Sometimes it means declining the invitation to jump.
Mimi understood that long before social media, personal branding, and artificial intelligence entered the conversation. She knew that following everyone else rarely leads you where you’re meant to go. The people who leave the greatest impact are usually the ones who remain true to themselves. They know who they are. They know what they believe. And they aren’t afraid to let their authentic voice be heard.
So, if you’re feeling pressure to sound like someone else, build your business like someone else, write like someone else, or follow a path that doesn’t feel right, remember Mimi’s advice:
“Just because you were invited to jump off a cliff doesn’t mean you do it.”
Trust your voice. Trust your story. Trust your path.
Because authenticity is one thing no one can steal.
What’s one area of your life or business where you’ve chosen authenticity over following the crowd?
That’s often where your greatest impact and your story begins.