A Tale Of Authenticity

Recently, in the Life is Good staff group chat, an important question was posed: 

“What is your biggest guilty pleasure song of all-time?”

There was a brief moment of silence, before Mike, a designer, confidently replied: “Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up.” Immediately thereafter, responses flooded in like the rains down in Africa, with staffers eager to reveal the songs that the culture consumed and discarded—from 80s ballads to ditties manufactured for toddlers. 

In minutes, we amassed enough tunes to create a playlist, so we did. 

The takeaway here is not that the burliest man in our office enjoys Hannah Montana. Or that Rick Astley’s resurgence into modern meme culture is nothing short of remarkable. Or that one does not simply forget the lyrics to Eifel 65’s ‘Blue (Da Ba Dee),’ no matter how much time has passed.

No, this is a story of authenticity.  

Authenticity, a Life is Good Superpower, is about growing your own way. It’s about responding to internal expectations rather than external ones, and acting in ways compatible with your own value system—even at the risk of criticism or rejection. 

True authenticity creates deep trust that welcomes vulnerability, like the soul-freeing admission that you prefer canned corn beef hash over the homemade stuff or that Dashboard Confessional was one of the most influential bands of the 2000s. 

In his profession of love for Rick Astley’s 1987 chart-topper, Mike exhibited the courage to be his genuine self, and that energy rickrolled into every last one of us. It also served as a reminder to love what you love, on your own terms—whether that be bird watching or pineapple on pizza or the melodious bark of the Baha Men. 

Did we ever find out who let the dogs out? Have they returned? Are they well?

Questions to pose to the group chat tomorrow. Stay tuned.