It’s so easy to fake happiness, and it’s often subtly encouraged.

When we are at work, we have to put on our best face in front of our boss or customers or clients. When we are in social settings, we don’t want to be the one bringing everyone down. On social media, we must be sure we are sharing our happiest selves.

There’s not much room for us when we aren’t feeling happy. If we fake happiness for too long, not only can it start to feel normal, but it continues to push us farther away from our true selves.

An important aspect of humanity is that we want to be seen. By seen, I mean seen, heard and recognized by others for our truest selves. This means we have to put forth our truest selves. It means we can’t hide who we are, lie about how we feel, or suppress real emotions, even when it’s unpopular or others don’t like it.

When we seek to be inspired, we do so holding ourselves in high regard, honoring the importance of our needs, desires and inherent rights to a positive life experience. We deserve to be inspired, and when we’re struggling, we don’t have to fake it until we make it. Instead, we can get in an inspired moment. We can get inspired in a small way or a big way. It’s really easy to fake being happy. It’s really difficult and unnecessary to fake being inspired.

We either are or aren’t inspired. We’re not a little inspired or “kinda” inspired. We are inspired, uninspired, or the topic or experience is irrelevant to us. But happiness? We can be a little happy or a lot happy, but there isn’t a definitive threshold of being happy or not being happy. It’s easy to fake or lie about being happy. Being inspired is concrete. That’s why it’s so easy to jump into it, even for a moment, and really feel it and mean it.

Being inspired is the healthiest route to being seen in the way we all crave and deserve because it is natural and authentic. The authenticity of passion that comes from creating art, overcoming obstacles, and the genuine joy we naturally express when being inspired is so easy to tap into and share.

Happiness Example: My love interest loves this movie. I better laugh at the parts they laugh at. I wish I was watching anything else. They’re looking—I better smile!

Inspired Example: I love singing! I don’t even think about it because it is just a part of me. Whenever I sing or talk about singing, I don’t have to say how much I enjoy it. It’s like people can just tell!