@zachpogrob
Obsession beats discipline - go all-in on your craft until you either die or get reborn.
You cannot fake anything in life
Evidence
Every attempt to project what you are not eventually gets exposed. Pretending to have skills, pretending to be someone you are not, pretending to care about things you do not - all eventually collapse.
Implication
Be authentic because you have no other choice. The truth always emerges. Invest in actually becoming rather than projecting. The shortcut of faking does not exist.
Counter Belief
Some 'fake it till you make it' confidence can be useful early in development. Performative behavior can become genuine through practice. Social situations sometimes require persona.
Example Application
Stop trying to appear more successful or capable than you are. The gap between projection and reality always becomes visible. Close the gap through actual development.