Be Authentic

I read a tweet from @Scrappinmichele today that put into words clearly what I had been struggling with for a comment on the State of the Union Address last night.  I have never met this tweeter.   However, her tweet hit home.

"Your mission statement should be in your own voice, make it authentic" 


My impression of the State of the Union was it was a well written and delivered oration by our President.  However, it wasn't in his own voice or authentic.   This President sounded like what the right wants to hear not what he believes in.   I guess I wondered if someone handed him the Republican response by mistake.   I just can't wrap my head around this President being for a five year spending freeze, vetoing any bill with ear marks or pork spending, and simplifying the federal tax code.   By the way the new euphimism for spending or tax dollars is "INVESTMENT".   Watch for this to be the overused word in 2011.

Sure, I would love to see a higher focus on math and science education in this country.  I believe in investing in technology.   I have to wonder if the public education system in this country is up to the challenge.   Clearly we need longer school days, virtual classrooms, and computers WAIT- tablets in the hands every student.   However, is this something that the teacher's unions are going to allow?   Things I could see perhaps making a difference would be longer school days, virtual classrooms, paying teachers with Math and Science degrees more etc.   I am guessing these will all be a no go in finding middle ground between School boards, administrator/teachers unions, and the individual tax payer.

In the end, I would have rather had President Obama get up and give a speech from his heart and his beliefs.   I just don't think this is the case.    Wondering in the heart of hearts of most liberals what did they think?   I mean... was this the type of program of what they voted for in 2008?

This would have been a tune to President Bush getting up there and saying he was going to federally fund abortion and abandon the Homeland Security plans.    It wasn't his own voice....

In social networking, one of the cornerstones of success is to sound human, real, and authentic.   Find your voice and use it...   people will respect you more for it.