The Price of Authenticity

🎤 Behind the Roar | July 12, 2025

We’re all taught a beautiful illusion —
That if we show up fully, speak our truth, lead with heart and passion… everything will fall into place. We are taught that authenticity is the key to success.

But here’s the truth:
Authenticity is powerful — but it’s not always safe. Or convenient. Or comfortable.

I will always give you the really real — especially, when talking about my own experiences. As I write this blog entry, however, I realize I am holding boundaries, staying subtle and not fully sharing. I find myself diminishing the truth — the emotions that are just under the surface waiting to scream out loud.

So I paused to ask myself “why?” What am I afraid of? What am I worried about? Why am I trying so hard to hide the truth of what I am experiencing right now?

And then it hit me:
💥I’m fighting through denial — one of the first stages of grief.

And what is it that I’m grieving? I find myself facing a situation in which my values — my authenticity — has led me onto an isolated island. I am alone in what I am standing for, what I am pursuing as the right thing to do, what I have spent months trying to shape, foster, cultivate and protect. And it is all crashing down around me.

Not because of something I did wrong, but because I did everything right. And the truth has made those around me squirm in discomfort.

As a result, my own comfort, my security, my very future — all are being challenged in this moment. And that leaves me feeling undervalued, underappreciated, and minimized. Because I stood in my values. I stood tall with authenticity. And I know in my core — in my very soul — that I did the right thing. I have stood up for what I know and believe is right.

And still, I am met with silence.
Or resistance.
Or abandonment.

I know this firsthand — and have experienced it at other times in my life, as well.

I write about this in the Authentic chapter of Roar Like A Woman:

“I don’t twist myself to fit expectations.
But it also means I sometimes carry the weight of honesty, because the truth isn’t always convenient.”

This year, that weight of honesty has tested me.

And yet, I have stayed rooted in my values — even when it cost me comfort.
I’ve spoken up — even when it would’ve been easier to stay quiet.
I’ve protected what I believe in — even when I stood alone.

But let me be clear: this isn’t martyrdom. This is clarity. This is conviction.

I am standing tall, with pride, in my values. I am making decisions, proposing options, rising above the pettiness instead of slinging mud like others might choose to do. I continue to stay true to my authentic self — and I am taking the high road while others scramble to preserve their conformity.

I have made decisions that have likely changed the trajectory of my life — forever.

And even now, I wouldn’t trade any of it. I wouldn’t make any different decisions. Because I can look at myself in the mirror and smile, and say “Well done. You did not compromise your values.”

I know I didn’t cut corners. I didn’t dilute myself to fit into someone else’s expectations. I didn’t say “yes” when a resounding “no” was required as the appropriate answer. I stood up. I spoke my truth. And I know that I did the right thing.

Have I asked myself if things might have been easier if I’d held back a little more? Of course I have! I am human, after all! Would my life look different if I had just been a “yes” girl? Of course.

But I am not here to conform. I am not here to go with the flow.

Because I know what I am meant for. And I would not be ok with “toeing the line”. It might be easier, but easier does not always mean right.

Authenticity has cost me opportunities. It has cost me stability. It has cost me comfort.

But, as I bare my soul for you right now, I realize that this is not the end of my safety. The Price of Authenticity is the beginning of my freedom.

And that’s a price I will gladly pay every single day of my life.

— Ronda 💛

📖 Want More?

Being authentic isn’t always easy. It can leave you feeling vulnerable, insecure, and uncomfortable. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

If you want to explore some ways to step into your authentic self — more freely and confidently — check out some of the tools I share in Roar Like A Woman.

You deserve to take up space just as you are.
So, remember your roar — it was meant to be unleashed.

Read more by getting your signed copy here.

Keep roaring!
— Ronda 💛