Authenticity and faking it till you make it…

My father was the kind of guy who’d ask for the toll taker's name as his car was on a steady roll through the gate. He’d make eye contact with the man selling the Sunday paper and ask for his name as he was handing him a quarter. He’d shake hands with the waiter, learn the names of their children, and tip as generously as possible. He radiated kindness, warmth and understood how much one interaction, one conversation, one gesture of respect could go. He knew names mattered. He knew people mattered.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad’s imprint on the world. He showed me everything: how to live, how to die and most importantly, how to love. And yet it wasn’t until we shared what was inside that changed everything for us, and for me.

As I sit here thinking about the wisdom his life revealed, I hear another one of his sayings: Fake it till you make it. And I smile. Because I know my dad is cheering me on. Reminding me that it’s okay to have fear. It’s okay to have doubt. But to get out there and make an impact.

Today, I’m harnessing those lessons of my father…and some raw courage.

Because this morning I’m sitting at a 4x4 table in our living room in the same chair where I sat my butt down to write my story during COVID. This story, my story, has become a book. It’s here. It’s happening. It’s on!

You see, I wrote my story for me but I also wrote it for you. I wrote it for all of us who long for a deeper connection with others, who don’t believe they have a story to tell, who want to live a more authentic life.

This book is for anyone who longs to read a story that inspires change.

I know this little book can have a big impact.

 In the short term you will feel more connected to me, to my story, to what it takes to share what’s inside. 

 And yet if you read this book, you will also feel closer to yourself.

 And you will learn the steps it takes to tell your own story. And how you can live a more authentic life, on your own terms.

Change happens over time. It is the small steps we take to learn about ourselves that can make all the difference.

Stories have changed my life. Who knows, this one could change yours.

 I want to thank my dear friend Allison for this testimonial:

Katherine‘s narrative is a brave exploration of the forces that shape us in our lives, the wounds we suffer, and the ways in which we become more authentically ourselves when we explore our past and tell our story. It’s a roadmap for greater authenticity and connection with others.