What fearless authenticity really asks of us, and why itâs worth it.
In my study, right in front of my desk, thereâs a quote I see daily - Be Fearlessly Authentic.
Some days I notice it consciously. Other days itâs just there, quietly holding space.
It reminds me that to become my future self, a New York Times best-selling author, I must be fearlessly authentic.
I need to say the things others might think but are often afraid to voice.
As I write this, Iâm chuckling to myself. I recognise her. Sheâs always been this way.
The person I was before the worldâs conditioning took hold wasnât afraid to be fully self-expressed. She would happily speak the truths others could see but struggled to say out loud.
People often tell me my writing feels open and vulnerable. The truth is, I donât know how else to write or be.
Every time Iâve tried to write what I thought others needed from me, Iâve lost myself. Iâve disconnected from what truly wanted to be said. I see now that proving and performing is not the game weâre here to play, but itâs one we can so easily get caught in.
If youâve been following along, youâll know that 2025 is a year of deep inner transformation for me.
The first quarter felt like an initiation, a reckoning with myself and the path I said I wanted. I had to get honest about what truly lit me up and be willing to let go of anything misaligned with my deeper desires.
The second quarter became a season of integration. I started putting those decisions into motion. Integration felt messy. It was the in-between, no longer who I used to be, not yet who Iâm becoming. Progress wasnât linear. It rarely is. It felt like nothing was moving, yet everything was shifting.
Now the third quarter has begun. And while Iâm not sure Iâm fully out of the integration phase, something in me wonders... is this the quarter of embodiment?
The quarter where the inner work begins to shape the outer world. Where being who I want to become is no longer a practice, but a presence.
Early signs suggest yes.
My fearless authenticity is giving me access to rooms that my proving self could only have dreamed of. The irony is, Iâm not attached to those rooms. Thereâs a freedom in being so aligned that anything not meant for this next version of me is an easy ânoâ.
Six months ago, I couldnât have imagined feeling this way. This journey of inner transformation isnât easy, and I understand why many avoid it. It asks you to shed familiar layers of identity and step into a future version of yourself that isnât yet fully formed.
But today, that fearless authenticity is showing up in every conversation. Especially in the ones that matter most.
Over the past few months, Iâve noticed something: many of us are avoiding the very thing we crave - honest, human connection.
Whether it's friends, family, partners, colleagues or clients, Iâve witnessed how often real talk feels out of reach. And itâs no wonder. Articles speak of a loneliness pandemic. Some people are even turning to AI for conversations they feel they canât have with anyone else.
Whatâs really happening here?
Weâre afraid of being fearlessly authentic.
I see it in leadership too. I see people in power who are deeply insecure about their capability, and instead of asking for support or alignment, they take a âdivide and conquerâ approach. Not because theyâre malicious, but because theyâre scared. Scared of failing. Scared of being seen.
And this is where I want to name what I see so clearly now:
We have a widening gap in the world - the performance and proving gap.
Itâs the gap that keeps us pretending weâre okay when weâre not.
Itâs the gap that keeps us staying longer in environments that no longer serve us.
Itâs the gap that stops us from sharing ideas, thoughts, or fears in case theyâre used against us.
Itâs the gap that keeps us distant from others, and even more so from ourselves.
In this gap, we lose ourselves in the optics. We worry more about how things look than how they feel. And in doing so, we carve away parts of ourselves until whatâs left feels... beige.
That was me.
Polished. Professional. Palatable.
I built brands and businesses that made sense to the outside world, but in the process, I hid parts of myself that didnât seem to fit, my poems, my blogs, my truth.
And in hiding them, I dulled my spark.
But hereâs the thing - itâs our fearless authenticity that brings colour to the world. Itâs what allows us to create solutions that donât yet exist. Itâs what makes us feel alive.
This next quarter is an embodiment of that. A devotion to showing up as myself, fully and unapologetically. Not to be loud for the sake of it, but to be true.
Being fearlessly authentic doesnât mean you wonât feel fear. You will. Especially when the conversations you need to have might make others uncomfortable. But they are necessary.
And if the world is experiencing a loneliness pandemic, then the one person you must not abandon is yourself.
These past six months have taught me that choosing yourself, over comfort, over conformity, is a radical act. Itâs not easy. But it will change your life.
So as this next quarter begins, Iâm asking myself:
Where am I still performing or proving - and what would it look like to let that go?
Maybe youâre asking yourself a version of that too.
Perhaps youâve felt the tension between who youâve been and who youâre becoming.
Maybe thereâs a conversation youâve been avoiding, a truth youâve been softening, or a part of yourself youâve been hiding because it didnât seem to âfit.â
If any of that resonates, let this be your reminder...
You donât need to be anyone else to be worthy of the life you want.
Fearless authenticity isnât about being fearless. Itâs about being true, even when youâre afraid.
So Iâll leave you with this:
Whatâs one small way you can honour your fearless authenticity this week
Keep going and keep growing.
Love Glin x
P.S. Three wins from my week:
1. Holding space for dear friends
Two close friends are navigating significant change, and I felt deeply privileged to hold space as they processed whatâs unfolding and the futures theyâre creating. Deep connection and real talk always fill my cup.
2. Having a fearlessly authentic conversation, even though I knew it would hurt
Itâs brutal having honest conversations like this, but in doing so, I witnessed a level of compassion and understanding that genuinely blew me away. Their response showed emotional maturity and self-regulation I hadnât experienced before. They held space for me to speak openly, even when it was hard to hear. It deepened my respect, my connection, and my belief in whatâs possible when communication is grounded in care.
3. Client wins
A client has chosen to retain me beyond our initial engagement, and this week I secured a meaningful opportunity with an organisation navigating a significant culture reset. Culture work like this is deeply tied to negotiation and influence - not just the external conversations, but the inner ones too. It requires the same kind of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and alignment Iâve been practising in my own transformation. It feels like the inner and outer work meeting in real time.
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