It’s Not What We Say—It’s Whether We Live It

We may speak the right lingo,
but are we actually embodying it?

The other day, I was reading a creative piece from someone I’ve followed and felt connected to for many years.
But this time, something felt different. Off.
Like I noticed a discord I’d sensed for a while, but hadn’t fully acknowledged—and it was so strong, it made me stop and turn around, as if my body already knew what my mind hadn’t yet caught up with.

The words were all familiar.
They still touched on topics I care about.
But the feeling wasn’t there.
The energy had shifted.
Something didn’t feel embodied. It didn’t feel true.

And it made me realise… “It’s really not just what we say that matters—it’s what we actually mean when we say it.”

That’s the challenge (and opportunity), isn’t it?
We’re living in a world where so many of us are saying the same things.
We talk about Creativity, Authenticity, Integrity, Depth.
These words are everywhere right now.
But what do we mean when we say them?
What energy lives behind them?

Take creativity, for example. For many, creativity means output. It’s content. Clever ideas. Branding that stands out. It’s the beautifully crafted funnel or the perfect hook. It’s problem-solving, with flair. It’s how we design, market, grow. Creativity becomes something we do—something we use to achieve an outcome.

But when I speak about creativity, that’s not what I mean.

For me, creativity is a way of living.
A way of listening.
It’s a process of expression that comes from within—not to impress, but to move something.
To move through something.
To remember something.
It’s not about perfect outcomes, it’s about embodied moments.
About being fully in the experience, even if it’s messy, even if it never becomes anything ‘useful’ or ‘sellable’.

To me, creativity isn’t strategy—it’s soul.

And the same goes for authenticity.
These days, authenticity can easily become a tactic.
A polished kind of vulnerability.
It’s used to humanise a brand or to create emotional connection in a sales funnel.
And to be honest, sometimes it works.
But that doesn’t mean it’s always true.

Why?
Because authenticity isn’t a look. It’s a frequency.

When I talk about authenticity, I mean the kind that’s felt in your bones. The kind that lives in the space between your words and your actions. The kind your nervous system recognises before your brain does.

Authenticity for me isn’t about sharing everything.
It’s about being honest with ourselves—about what’s sacred, what’s real, and what’s performative.
It’s about feeling into whether our life and work are in alignment with who we truly are—or if they’ve just become a performance we’re trying to keep up.

And this takes work, and a whole lot of unpacking and willingness to look at ourselves in all our edges.

You see this disconnection between words and action everywhere—on a big and small scale.
At home, in business, in quiet everyday moments.

A few days ago, my husband was reminding our son to always let the women out first in a lift. “Be a gentleman,” he said. But when the doors opened… he walked straight out first! We all laughed. It wasn’t a big deal—just one of those little moments where what we say and what we do don’t quite line up.

But still, it stuck with me.
Because it reminded me—people don’t learn from what we say.
They learn from how we live.

And that’s true in everything. The other day for my Soul Tuning Questions, I asked something inspired by this:

“If people followed your actions—not your words—what would they learn from you?”

Powerful, right? That’s the real invitation—to let your words be a reflection of your actions, without discord.

And that’s what I felt missing in that newsletter.
The words were there—but the energy wasn’t.
The tone was familiar—but the truth wasn’t embodied.
And once I noticed that, something in me softened and sharpened at the same time.

Because I realised… that’s why I do what I do.
Why I create. Why I speak. Why I write.

“Not to convince. Not to perform. But to offer you a doorway to become aware and feel what’s real.”

And isn’t that how we grow? How we learn more about ourselves and the world? How we start seeing the wisdom behind how we’re told to live, think, and operate?

It’s interesting, isn’t it?
That so many of the same people talking about creativity and authenticity are the ones worried AI is making everything sound vanilla—and then offer to sell you a framework to make your voice stand out.

But maybe the issue isn’t AI at all.
Maybe the issue is that what was being shared wasn’t fully lived in to begin with.

When someone says, “Everything sounds the same now,” it’s not because of AI.
It’s because many voices were never distinct.
They were never embodied to begin with.
So when AI reflects the tone, it reveals what was already templated, performative, or hollow. That’s the discomfort.
That’s the shake-up.

And here’s the paradox: whether it’s AI doing the talking—or us saying the words without living them—it’s two ends of the same stick.
Different in form, but born from the same disconnection.

So maybe the real question isn’t: What is being said?
Maybe it’s: What do they mean when they say it?
And deeper still: Are they living it?

Tell me: If people followed Your actions—not your words—what would they learn from You?
And is there anywhere in your life your words are leading, but your actions haven’t caught up yet?

If you’re open to growth, ask yourself those questions.
And if you’re feeling really courageous—ask your children. 😉

Related Posts