On Authenticity: What We Can Learn from Tina Turner

When Tina Turner passed on May 24th of this year, like many of you, perhaps, I went down a joyful rabbit hole of watching clips of some of her classic live performances. One of my favorites of her rocking Proud Mary on Soul Train, starts with Tina teasing what’s to come:

“I think by now you'd like to hear something from us nice…and easy. Well now I’d like to do that for you, but there’s just one thing. I guess you know by now that we never, ever do nuthin’ nice and easy. Because you see, we always do it, nice…and rough. We’re gonna take the beginning of the song and we're gonna do it…easy. But then we're gonna do the finish…rough. This is the way WE do…Proud Mary”

And then…well, watch for yourself. Oh my. Those legs. Those back up dancers!

I dare you not to get a little groove on.

It’s that “this is the way WE do…”. This is not the Creedance Clearwater Revival version of Proud Mary. This is not anyone else’s version. This is the Tina Turner version. And that authenticity, even on a cover song, is what makes it great, what makes it beautiful, what makes it memorable.

My friend Jen loves this version of the song so much she always promises/threatens her fiancé that this is the only dance she’ll agree to do at their wedding. Because she’s not gonna do a wedding someone else’s way. Just like Tina’s not gonna do Proud Mary anyone else’s way. Because they are always gonna be themselves: this is authenticy.

Barak Obama said this about Tina Turner on Twitter:

“Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself—speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy.”

Tina's journey from domestic abuse to iconic pop goddess by way of Buddhism, inspires me to live fully as myself and remember that I control my own destiny. If you can find it in yourself to be “unapologetically yourself”, you can free yourself up for creativity, for joy, for sharing your gifts and shining your light.

Worrying about what we “should” do, worrying about how others will perceive us, worrying about following the rules takes up SO much energy. I’ve had this conversation a few times with fellow faculty recently: “Why am I on this committee, this project, this team? What is the point? I don’t even care about this…” And when we feel uncommitted, uninspired, and not in alignment, we use up our time, energy, and resources in ways that don’t serve anyone.

What projects are you working on that don’t align with your values? What committee meetings are you attending because you think you should? What are you doing in your classroom that someone else told you was a good idea, but doesn’t really work for you and your students? What did you used to believe made you a good teacher that might no longer be true? Where are you stuck? What can you liberate yourself from?

Yes, I know you have to do your service work: so do the service work that you honestly care about. Yes, I know you have to attend meetings: can you attend or contribute in a way that aligns with who you really are? Can you find a way to contribute and be your authentic self at the same time?

If you’re feeling worn down, fed up or burnt out, I invite you to look for the places it feels a little scary to step back. Look for the places where you wonder “what will they think” when you consider letting go. Those might be the places where you’re operating from fear or ego. Our ego wants to be liked and safe, but sometimes it tries to accomplish those things using old data. Where is your ego running the show on an outworn script and using up all your energy? Who do you want to be now, and in the near future? Can you redirect your energy there? Can you let go of something to make space for just a little bit more of your authentic self?

Recently I've been excited by the space that opens up when I let go of what no longer serves my soul’s purpose or no longer aligns with my values. And what I’ve found endlessly fascinating is that it has not been the things I expected to need to let go of!

By taking baby steps toward authenticity, I’m starting to find the joy in working, in living again, because I’m less and less worried about what other people think and more in tune with who I really am: My psychedelic self. My self that remembers that I like sports, and not only books (go 49ers!). My self that sees that it doesn’t matter how many committees I chair, it only matters how I treat my colleagues and students. My self that owns my working-class Canadian roots instead of endlessly running and hiding from them under some misplaced ideas about sophistication and coolness. And it feels…good.

Aligning our behaviors to our authentic beliefs and values frees up energy for creativity, meaning and joy. I invite you to be a bit like Jen, a bit like Tina…a bit more like you. Get curious and brave, and see where you can make some space for what you actually want in your life. It just might be the best gift you can give to everyone. Tina practiced her craft in their own style: where can you practice your craft in yours?

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