Authenticity on the first date

Many people behave differently when they date.
They present a polished version of themselves:
pleasing, perfecting, performing..
as if connection requires acting.

But the way you meet someone should be the way you truly are.
You can be extra, but authenticity should never be sacrificed.

Some won’t appreciate your realness,
and some will judge you simply for showing up as yourself,
but pretending to be something else
only attracts people who were never meant to meet your truth.

Someone who is only drawn to the illusion of you
was never ready to meet the real you.

The moment we abandon our authenticity to be liked,
we lose ourselves before anything even begins.

Authenticity is not about impressing someone, 
it’s about revealing who truly belongs.

— David John