How to Avoid a Boring Eulogy Pt. 4

Be Real — Enthusiasm Looks Good on You

Let’s be honest: none of us want our lives summed up with a polite shrug.

“She was nice.”

“He always got his emails in on time.”

“He fit in.”

Yikes! That’s not the legacy we’re aiming for. That’s the fast track to a forgettable eulogy.

If we want to live lives worth talking about long after we’re gone, here’s one of the most important invitations: Be real. Show up with enthusiasm. Be unapologetically yourself.

It sounds simple. But let’s not pretend it’s easy. We live in a world that subtly (and sometimes loudly) teaches us to shrink, to blend in, to round off our weird and wonderful edges. Somewhere along the way, many of us trade authenticity for approval.

But here’s the truth: people can’t fully know us if we’re only offering a curated version. And they can’t love the real us if we never give them the chance to see it.

We’ve got to take the lid off.

I’m writing this from a coffee shop, and I just watched a barista pour an absolute masterpiece of latte art into a to-go cup. It was stunning—like she studied under Michelangelo and chose milk foam instead of marble. And then, without a second thought, she popped a lid on it and set it on the pickup counter. No one will ever see it but her.

But that’s the thing. It wasn’t about who it was for. It was about how she showed up. It was enthusiasm, expressed quietly but confidently. It was her being herself—doing something ordinary with extraordinary intention. That’s what we’re after.

A Few Ways to Be More Real (and Way Less Boring):

1. Remember: What Makes You Different Makes You Memorable

The quirks, the passions, the random obsessions? Those aren’t liabilities. They’re your highlights reel. Wear them like a badge of honor—not in a look-at-me way, but in a “this is who I am and I’m glad to be here” kind of way. There’s something magnetic about someone who knows who they are and likes that person.

2. Don’t Bottle Up the Fun

Some of the best parts of us only come out when we’re having fun. Laughter is a shortcut to connection. Wonder is the gateway to joy. When we show up to the day like it might be the best one yet, we unlock a kind of energy that’s contagious. So play the song. Send the funny text. Buy the silly hat. Enthusiasm is a form of courage.

3. Express Yourself the Way You Do

Not all of us are confetti cannons. Enthusiasm doesn’t always have to be loud. It might be the way your eyes light up when you talk about your favorite book. Or how you quietly make sure everyone has what they need before you even sit down. There’s no “right” way to be real—there’s just your way. Do that.

The Takeaway?

Let’s stop trying to fit in when we were made to stand out. Let’s bring our full selves into the room—quirks, passions, awkward dance moves and all. Because when we show up real, we give others permission to do the same. No masks. No pretending. Just connection.

And a life full of connection? That’s the kind people remember. That’s a eulogy people have to trim down because there are just too many good stories to fit in.

Let’s be those people.

Let’s live like that.