@calumam. The word is Authenticity, and here is my take on it. You should check it out, there's still time to enter and the prize is up to 100 POB!
I'm not a big bible fan, but this passage from Ecclesiastes 1:9 always made me think about authenticity, specially inside the realm of juggling.
THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN.
When we think about juggling, it's really hard to say "Hey, I created this trick". First because you can never be sure, maybe you were just the first post it online (now a days it's so much easier) and there's and saying that goes: "If you think you created this, I bet there are at least 4 Chinese jugglers that do this better then you." (Circus in China is really incredible) So there is really nothing new under the sun here.
Despite that, everyday I see new tricks popping up by fusion of old tricks, or the adding of dancing, percussion, acting, and many other art forms. And what would make the difference if two people do the same trick? Yes my young grasshoppers...
Authenticity is, most of the time, when you add your flavor to the trick, when you put your personal spin on it. Because everything is already done, but you can always create something extraordinary from it.
I'm going to share a secret with you: I'm not a great juggler, never have been. But why I was able to make a living out of it for most of my life? No, it wasn't because I traveled to places where people never heard of juggling so I was the only option, it was because I never copied any trick. I always did with all my energy, charisma and heart, so it became an authentic expression of my way of juggling. And people seemed to like it. (lucky me right?)
And I believe that this can fit anything in your life. If you put your own seasoning on what you are doing, there's no way something authentic doesn't come out of it!
Keep posting and keep shining!
