REAL

Introduction:

Welcome my friend,

It's true that most times when we say, “we want someone in our corner who keeps it real” what we do mean is that we want someone that's genuine.

Which is the same as “no fake zone” because we don't want to end up deceived or worse still betrayed by folks who are good pretenders.

However, this isn't what this conversation is about because REAL in this context is an acronym; one that we're going to decode in due course.

So that when we're done, we would have understood what “a good way to fake it” entails.

Discussion:

REAL from where we lifted it from, for the sake of this conversation, is an inspiring way to describe the qualities of;

R - Righteousness

E - Excellence

A - Accountability

L - Love

Here, the aim is to encourage us as individuals to be REAL in character, conduct and lifestyle at least for the reason of making the world around us better for all.

Which indeed, appeals to most of us, because we want to enjoy the benefits of living a life of excellence, accountability and love.

However, where we often have a problem is the first word, ‘Righteousness’ , probably because we are not interested in all that ‘spiritual stuff’.

Worse still, we don't want to place on ourselves the burden of being right or perfect.

So we don't even try, well convinced that we can never be righteous.

Well, if we're one of such folks, then this conversation is for us.

We're going to take a look at how to focus on the other seemingly attainable make ups of our acronym.

After all, it won't be good to allow just one (1) of these four (4) attributes get in the way of the other three (3).

■ Examining These REAL Attributes 

Having agreed to put the ‘R’ aside, let's get started with the ‘E’, then to the rest in that order, as we discuss keeping it REAL how it rightly applies here.

▪︎ Excellence

We all have what it takes to be excellent, we just need that desire to want it enough to keep trying.

If excellence is adapting disciplined traits by practicing them daily and routinely until they become a part of us.

Then excellence is a learned behaviour.

Discipline is not an act, it's a process and those who become disciplined achieve it by continually holding back on their desires, until they get used to doing so - all for the greater good.

To live an excellent life, a good place to start is how we use our time.

When we mindlessly spend the day in unrewarding, uninspiring or unhealthy activities, we show ourselves to be poor stewards of our time.

This isn't any way to behave excellently, which is why we need to start making the necessary changes.

Also, excellence extends to our conduct: what we say, where we say it, how we say it and our intention for saying it.

When we talk a lot or make empty promises we show our words to lack the substance required to consider them valuable.

Excellence also includes our appearance and presence; the aura we exude when we interact with others.

When we're clean and confident in our looks we engage boldly expressing ourselves freely.

Indeed, all these show that we learn excellence by becoming intentional with our actions, consciously unlearning poor behaviors and learning new good ones.

This is a continuous process reinforced overtime as we keep trying.

Most importantly, an excellent attitude ensures that we despise mediocrity, seeing it as a proof of unrealized potential.

▪︎ Accountability 

The quality of a person to be aware of their role in an outcome, readily and willingly taking responsibility for their actions is called accountability.

This is important in building successful relations because if we don't own up to how our actions affect others, we'd have no reason to try to behave better.

Accountability means, there are no excuses or blame games; we apologize, we change and we repair because we genuinely see our own flaws.

Which improves the quality of our relationships as the other party responds in the same manner.

Also, when we're accountable we have more sense of responsibility, intentionally holding ourselves to higher standards because we have a better appreciation of how each of our actions affect us.

Here, we no longer blame others for our predicaments because we recognize our own role in it.

▪︎ Love 

When we love others as we love ourselves, our intentions towards them will always be genuine.

When they sense this love and reciprocate it, there is harmony, unity and peaceful coexistence.

In the presence of love there is tolerance, patience and forgiveness.

In its absence there's judgment and condemnation, writing off each other for our respective flaws and parts of us that we're still working on.

Love binds us because it blinds us, so that we only see the good in others, because it makes them show us only the best in them.

This is what true love does.

It makes us want to improve and become better because that's what it'll take to love the other person right; and we're committed to doing so.

If we become more loving, the less inhumane we'd be to each other.

■ A Good Way To Fake It 

If a person sets out to adapt all these attributes of excellence, accountability and love as described above, they'll end up righteous.

This is a good way to fake righteousness.

When we take away the pressure of trying to be perfect, we give ourselves the room to exist as imperfect beings merely committed to trying our best.

This is a good place to start.

We don't have to let the fear or burden of being ‘holy’, ‘spiritual’ or ‘righteous’ hold us back from trying to keep it REAL.

After all, from what we've seen righteousness itself is a destination.

■ True Righteousness 

To be morally upright and law abiding can make us good people but that's not merely what righteousness is about.

Everyday, we see disciplined people crush their goals through sheer determination and willpower; and they always make sure to let everyone know.

However, for us as believers we've tried and failed through our own strength and power so that we've now come to God in humility, to guide us.

So for us excellence, accountability and love have come as fruits of His spirit and our righteousness is to the glory of His name.

This is the kind of righteousness that fulfills.

Here, we don't have to strive hard to be REAL because when God's light shines on us we just seamlessly reflect it on the world around us.

Summary:

When Jesus Christ was asked to name the greatest commandment he replied;

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, with the second being to love your neighbor as yourself”

So maybe we can even ignore all the other letters.

Maybe, it's just love we need.

This is also a good start.

Master Apprentice

www.x.com/truekingmaker