Never care more about how you are perceived than you do about who you actually are. You will be unhappy for as long as you do that.

Some people have been so concerned for so long with maintaining a perceived image that does not speak to their original values that they no longer reflect their values and are just a hollow image.

Being hollow is never worth it. Make sure that you have defined who you are, what you stand for (and what you won't stand for) and what impact you would like to have on the world around you. Allow that to be the impact of your brand and allow that to be what gets you the job. For too long, people have been superficial and lacked empathy, and that is why America is currently struggling with an identity crisis, both on an individual and a collective level. We have to worry more about who we are than how we look.

At the end of the day, I am, unapologetically, a young man who believes that the lives of all should be valued above the privilege/power of few. Becoming comfortable with those values were, at one point, difficult because being transparent about them could keep me from what I once perceived as success. But now, I know power/conquest/wealth gained on the backs of others is nothing short of evil.

Oh, and while I'm making points, "stop killing us," and "black lives matter" should not be seen as threatening political statements by those who took power, but rather statements that evoke the humanity and empathy of those with privilege.

Make being authentic a priority.