Do you believe you can make someone the happiest they've ever been just by being around them? Do you believe you're irreplaceable in your job just from bringing your own perspective?

Or do you believe you have to fool 'em?

I can tell you: 100% you can do that for someone, and you are absolutely irreplaceable. I can tell you that every moment you show up in, you offer something to the world that you—and only you—can offer. You, just as you are, are a gift.

And yet so many of us spend so much time thinking we need to put on for people. We need to show our good side on dates. We need to put our best foot forward at work. We need to wear masks. We need to be more than we are.

Here's an insidious one for me: I need to be censor myself—for fear that my honest contributions will somehow take away from the situation.

That's all B.S. You're a gift. Everything you add to the world is valuable. Every interaction you have with people is a chance to leave them with something unique and awesome. Every quick convo with a barista; every phone call with a friend; every date in the park; every board meeting—your whole life is a series of opportunities to contribute your art to this universal canvas.

You—honest and unfiltered—are a gift.
You—without the masks—are invaluable.
You—just as you are—can change the world with your presence.

We need more of you.