When I started writing a couple of years ago, I thought of the topics I wanted to write about. Every topic I thought of had been written about earlier, time after time after time. By better writers than me. I had self-doubt (though momentary) as I wondered how to write something original, when almost every topic under the sun had been covered.

Luckily for me, it didn’t take long to realise that my writing may not be exactly original, but it would be authentic. It would be about how “I” have experienced that topic — within myself, in my relationships and in the world around me. It would be unique, because there’s only one of me in the whole world. There are no duplicates.

I learned that it’s important to put “yourself” in your work — your imagination, your passion, your thinking and your unique expression. The more of yourself you put in, the more authentic is the work you do.

Authenticity is like a magnet, because it establishes trust — that crucial 5 letter word in relationships. People don’t feel deceived because you have not hidden yourself behind a facade or pretence. They are comfortable dropping their barriers and welcoming / letting you within themselves.

So remember you can always be authentic, though you might not be exactly original. Put “yourself” in your work — your unique thoughts, your unique sense of humour, your unique desires, your unique joys, your unique suffering, your unique big picture thinking or your unique detail orientation and your unique style. Establish the imprint of authenticity on your work and see pathways to success opening up for yourself.