Kill Your Darlings

Why Letting Go Is Key to Authenticity

The secret to authenticity? Kill your darlings.

You've heard it a thousand times before: "Just be yourself."

I think that's bullshit and the fastest way to become a fraud.

Bare with me.

Imagine this: You're at a high school reunion, proudly wearing your letterman jacket. But it doesn't fit anymore. You've outgrown it, physically and mentally. Yet you squeeze into it, desperate to cling to who you once were.

That's the trap most of us fall into. We build our identity, find some success, and then... we freeze. We cling to it. We become walking museums of our past selves, terrified to evolve.

Here's the thing: Authenticity isn't static. It's a constant shedding of skin. It's fluid, it's ever changing.

Think of yourself as a snake. To grow, it must shed its old skin.

Painful? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.

That old skin that once protected, that got you the success, the accolades, the attention, now suffocates your growth.

So, how do we stay true to ourselves while constantly evolving?

• Embrace the death of your past self.

• Follow your genuine curiosity, even if it leads you off-brand.

• Retire ideas, even successful ones, that no longer resonate.

• Redefine yourself regularly, without apology.

Don't become pigeonholed. Don't get caught in the trap of staying stuck in an old identity out of fear of what others will say.

Ask yourself: What skin am I clinging to? What part of my identity is now a constraint rather than a foundation?

Here's your challenge:

Identify one aspect of yourself you've outgrown.

What's it costing you?

How's it stunting your growth?

Where is it keeping you from revealing new parts of yourself?

Now, let it go.

It's not a loss; it's an evolution.

True authenticity is the courage to become who you are, not the comfort of remaining who you were.

Are you brave enough to kill your darlings?