"Why?"

I asked myself over and over as I struggled to write the content for the rebrand of my website.

Is my current version really that dated? Too hollow? Too lacking in emotion?

The litany of questions continued inside my confused content writer head for awhile until I found the real (read: heartfelt) reason.

The truth is, that content was a “lite” version of the contemporary Tom. The “30% less” option of who I am right now. In fact, the old content I wrote over two years ago was just not relevant to me anymore.

It was not the authentic me.

And I knew that without a doubt after crafting my manifesto and discovering my one word (Thanks Evan Carmichael).

You see, for the past three years, I’ve amped up my volunteer game. Call it a sense of purpose, call it about time, but I've been working with several organizations helping the homeless in our community. And the plain and simple truth is that the 8 to 10 hours I put in a month fills my cup, and then some.

Such experience has transformed the way I feel about myself.

And the work I do.

No longer was I solely interested in helping market just any product or service.

For me, it is now all about mission-driven organizations. Businesses, NPOs and benefit companies who seek and work toward a world focused on equity, social justice and environmental issues.

Who believe in and practice the 4 P’s (People, Planet, Purpose, Profit).

Who truly want to make an impact.

And that's what this volunteering thing has done for me.

When you see the faces of poverty up close and personal — from teens to senior citizens, from physically-challenged to drug-addicted, from just barely surviving to hopeless — you can’t help but be moved emotionally. You feel it in your heart. And yes, you feel it in your soul.

Which has everything to do with my new web content.

You see, my earlier website was written from my head. As a result, it had no pulse, no emotion and no reason for anyone to connect. Least of all the organizations I truly respected and wanted to do work for.

But that all changed as I started thinking and truly caring about the humanity that surrounds me. And then, ah-hah, I found the authentic me.

American researcher and author Brene Brown says:

"Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are."

I could not agree more.