256. Emotional Authenticity Is Your Competitive Edge

I have noticed that a vast majority of people I meet are afraid to be themselves. They say the thing they are supposed to say. They do not express their own opinions. I find it truly exhausting and very boring specially when listening to public speeches. I want to scream: give me real you, not a fake persona you are trying to build.

There is a widespread opinion that professionalism and power means neutrality. Keep emotions out of it. Stay polished. Be composed.

However, there is one skill that consistently rises above the noise - emotional authenticity.

This skill builds real trust.

It improves resilience.

It reduces second-guessing and opens the door to real conversations

This very skill can be your strategic advantage, particularly in public speaking.

What Emotional Authenticity Is

  • Clear, grounded expression

  • Honest self-awareness

  • Communicating with sincerity rather than performance

It ISN’T:

  • Oversharing

  • Unfiltered emotion

Three Ways to Practice Emotional Authenticity In Public Speaking

  1. Start your speech with a question to the audience: Should I tell the truth or...? I am sure the audience will shout "yes". Follow up and tell people the truth and not what may seem sound appropriate or perferct

  2. Substitute verbs "think, believe," with verbs "feel, sense"

  3. Look each person in the audience in the eyes for 5 seconds (it will feel long)

These small shifts create space for honesty - and honesty creates connection.

Emotional authenticity isn’t about dramatic confession or forced openness. It’s about:

  • Alignment

  • Integrity

  • Congruence

Ignoring, hiding or suppressing your emotions doesn’t make them disappear. People can sense them. Recognising them is a powerful step to freedom of self-expression, strong presence and impactful speech. Your emotions and feeling are not obstacles - they’re the most valuable sourse of information.

I finish my newsletter with one of my favourite quotes:

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” - Carl Jung

Warmly

Olga Smith

www.batcsglobal.com

250. Be Unstoppable: Balancing Your Inner Cycles to Build Momentum

We all go through different stages in life, shifting from one state of being to another, like the ebb and flow of tides.

🔥 The Drive State: When Momentum Takes Over

There are moments when we feel driven — energised, aligned, and unstoppable. In these phases, we create, build, solve, lead, and accomplish more than we imagined. It feels as if the world opens for us. But high drive without self-awareness eventually leads to one thing: burnout.

🌙 The Reflective State: When Doubt Meets Insight

Then come the melancholic, pensive seasons. Here, we slow down, question, reflect, and sometimes doubt ourselves. These periods can feel uncomfortable, yet they often reveal deeper truths:

  • What are you doing?

  • Why are you doing it?

  • Does it still align with who you’re becoming?

Reflection is very powerful — unless you stay there too long.

😴 The Resting State: When Your Mind and Body Reset

And then there are the tired seasons — essential moments of restoration. We sleep, eat, stretch, breathe, and reconnect with our humanity. Rest isn’t a pause from productivity.

The Real Question: What’s Your Ratio?

We all cycle through drive, reflection, and rest — but in different amounts.

  • Some people live in drive mode and eventually burn out.

  • Some stay in reflection and never take action.

  • Some rest so often that their momentum never forms.

There’s no universal formula. But there is awareness — and that changes everything.

🎯 An Example From My Own Life

Take speech mastery, for example. Once, I practised my English speech for hours every day. My articulation was sharp. My pronunciation was clear. My confidence was rising. Then I stopped completely (I was travelling to Italy and was learning to speak Italian). My English speech became sloppy — far from where I wanted to be. Now I practice just 20 minutes a day, and the improvement is remarkable. My articulation is returning. My pronunciation is strengthening. Consistency beats intensity - every time.

Know Yourself

Here’s what I’ve learned about myself:

  • My mind moves fast and seeks quick, simple solutions so I can relax.

  • When I feel driven, I can (figuratively) move mountains.

  • But I also tend to reflect too long — sometimes to the point where I feel sick, lose progress, and then rush to catch up, causing mistakes.

This is my cycle. But I’m choosing to break it — and create a new one.

✅ My 3-Step Formula to Stay Unstoppable

These simple habits have changed everything for me:

1. I allocate dedicated time for work, rest, and reflection.

Structure reduces emotional decision-making. I also know that for me, the best time to reflect is very early am or late pm. Work between 8 am and 1 pm. Rest between 4 pm-8 pm.

2. I set alarms to stop myself from going too far in any direction.

Balance needs boundaries. For me, this is particularly useful to limit my reflection and rest time.

3. I break tasks into baby steps and assign time to each one.

Small steps act like pressing on a gas pedal in a car; they make me move and build momentum.

Being unstoppable isn’t about always being in “go mode.” It’s about mastering the flow between drive, reflection, and rest — with awareness, intention, and compassion. When you learn your patterns and build consistency into your days, something powerful happens:

You don’t just make progress. You become unstoppable.

Warmly

Olga Smith

www.batcsglobal.com