On Sharing and Sincerity

It may not seem like it, but this is a piece about firsts and goals. Seemed appropriate to start this new calendar year as well as my adventure into sharing on this section of my website. (Sure, I am signaling my age by starting a blog instead of a TikTok.) 

Recently, I was pointed to a blog full of thought-provoking information and, honestly, good suggestions that may help folks make positive changes in their lives. Yet, as much as I felt inspired by the content, I had a growing sense of concern as I read through a few posts and looked at the owner/author’s “About” page in an attempt to learn more. 

I never got a feel for who he is underneath the entrepreneurial gloss. And the subject lines seemed clickbait-y: “The Most Amazing Thing Will Happen After You Read This,” and such. (In fairness, not an actual title.)

As I read more, it became clear to me that some of why I felt that way was the writing style. Much of his writing is in the second person: “when you do this… you’ll notice … you will appreciate…” etc. That made me uncomfortable. Perhaps it is my training, perhaps it is my own neuroses.

I try to speak from my own experience and make as few assumptions about your experience as possible. That said, I do often make assumptions about our experience. There is some level of shared reality we live in, and I think there are some things universal in the fact we experience them, whether or not our experience of them is the same. 

Of course, I am sure there are people for whom his style really connects, and I do believe there is value in things he’s writing about. So I’m not going to attempt to turn people away from there, but I wanted to investigate the feelings that came up for me as I explored his site, especially the feelings it brought up around my own entrepreneurial and ministerial pursuits. 

What crystallized for me was that it is not the kind of vibe I want to come across in my writing or website. I feel the only way I can be helpful to someone is to be genuine; to be exposed in a way. That requires quite a bit of vulnerability. Which is terribly uncomfortable and what usually keeps me from writing. 

In order to be sincere though, I have to embrace that discomfort. Or at least try. Because perhaps something I share about my experience is helpful. It may be something you want to try. It may let you know more about someone else’s experience.

My hope is that I am able to acknowledge something in both of our experiences that is shared, as well as things about our experiences that are wildly different. We must allow space for each other and for both to be true. Being able to be vulnerable, exposing both our similarities and our differences is what brings us into community.

Photo credit: Nick Fewings via Unsplash

When I considered what the name of my practice should be, it was this interest in sincerity that stood out in my mind. Thus, the name Seek Sincerely. Because I think that’s the most power I have in changing the world. 

To strive to be sincere with each other, to express ourselves as sincerely and openly as possible, whether to voice gratitude or disagreement. To seek sincerely within ourselves and to sincerely seek that which we hold sacred. These are all radical acts that can shape the world around us. 

So this is a first sharing, with the sincere intention to continue to forage thoughts over the year. I hope it will give you an authentic peek into who I am, how I think, and what I offer. I fully expect to contradict myself at some point - we all contain multitudes after all - but perhaps you’ll accept the invitation to follow along.