The Great Imitation Game:
What Happens When You Betray Your Own Roots?

Integrity is not optional if you want sustainable growth & success.
Anything planted without SOUL will eventually wither and collapse.

Something’s been in the air lately.

Maybe you’ve felt it, too —
this weird uptick in copycat energy?

Today feels like the perfect moment to talk about something that's been bubbling up more and more in my own community:

Authenticity, integrity, and the true forces that shape real growth.

And it’s not just “someone stole my post” energy — it’s deeper than that.

At first glance, it looks like success.

But underneath?

It’s hollow.

Because real growth can’t be stolen.
It must be cultivated.

It’s what I’m calling...

The Great Imitation Game.

Because imitation goes both ways.

Yes — there are people lifting content they didn’t create.

Passing off someone else’s ideas as their own.

But the more insidious version?

It happens internally.

It’s the moment you scroll past someone’s content and think:

“I should be doing that.”

It’s the subtle betrayal that happens…
when you trade your roots for someone else’s branches.

Imitation isn’t just a branding issue.

It’s a soul issue.

There’s a strange pressure that hums beneath the surface in the world of online personal growth, spirituality, creativity, and even entrepreneurship.

Even when we say we’re being “authentic,” we’re often still scanning the field — subconsciously checking what everyone else is doing, how they’re saying it, when they’re posting, who they’re quoting, and what seems to be “working.”

Call it benchmarking.
Call it research.
Call it inspiration.

Here’s the thing…

Inspiration is AMAZING and a part of all creative growth (we do NOT create in a vacuum).

But sometimes… it’s not inspiration.

It’s imitation. (Did you feel the difference?)

And imitation is not sustainable.

You Can’t Grow a Tree With Someone Else’s Roots

Imitation is shallow modeling — and shallow modeling doesn’t stick.

When we imitate someone else's business model, brand voice, or creative process, we’re often trying to borrow their roots to support our growth.

But you can’t grow your trees with someone else’s root system.

You don’t understand the nuances of everything that went into creating that foundation.

The decisions. The actions. The intentions. 

You can prop yourself up for a while, sure.

Get some traction.

Maybe even convince yourself it’s “working.” (because it looks like success on the surface, right?)

But sooner or later, the weight of being out of alignment catches up with you.

You start chasing instead of creating.

You lose track of what was yours to begin with.

The Quieter Face of Imitation

It doesn’t always look like outright content theft.

More often, it shows up as self-betrayal.

It sounds like:

“I should be posting more.”
“I should be building faster.”
“I should be saying it the way they say it.”

And just like that, you trip over your own roots — chasing someone else's harvest instead of tending your own garden.

As my friend, and intuitive consultant, Elly Molina recently wrote from a cruise ship in the Med: 

"Should" is a subtle saboteur. (aka ‘have to’, ‘must’, ‘need to’...)

It pulls you out of presence, power, and possibility.

The moment you catch it — and choose differently — you begin the real work:

GROWING YOUR OWN WAY.

(The Power of Language was a fabulous SoulPath Sessions interview that I did with Elly Molina. You can check out the full session here if you want to dive deeper - we look at how the words we choose either anchor us in our authentic frequency — or erode it piece by piece.)

A Quick Note on Inspiration

None of us creates in a vacuum.

We are shaped, stirred, and sparked by countless voices, ancestors, teachers, and peers.

That’s part of the beauty of being human — we are always in conversation.

As Austin Kleon writes in Steal Like an Artist:

“Steal from many, but make it your own.”

There’s a sacred difference between honoring your influences and abandoning your voice.

True creation isn’t mimicry — it’s alchemy.

It’s weaving everything you’ve learned, loved, and lived through the singular, irreplaceable filter of YOU…. your own soul.

My Personal Growth Cycle in Action:
Rooting Into My Own Structure

Right now, I’m in Phase 2: Builder in my own Growth Cycle.

This phase is about putting down real, lasting roots — not in theory, but in practice.

The moment I decided to really anchor into a new season of building, everything around me seemed to whisper (or scream):

“Here’s what you should be doing.”
“Here’s the structure that works.”
“Here’s the strategy that’s proven.”
“Here’s the format that scales.”

But what I’m learning — again and again — is this:

You can’t build your rhythm on someone else’s timeline.

And you certainly can’t build long-term foundations by following flashy, short-term trends.

So I’ve been asking myself:

• What does SUCCESS really look and feel like for me?

• What does my business actually need to feel SUSTAINABLE, not just like busy work?

• What kinds of clients and working sessions light me up — and leave me feeling ENERGIZED and EXCITED?

• What content structure lets me feel EXPRESSIVE and EXPANSIVE - not like a dairy cow that is paid to produce?

The Real Cost

There is no true power in forced, productive growth.

Imitation may get attention.
It may get likes.
It may even get some money in the short term.

But what it won’t get you is rooted power.

And without roots, you are growing on shaky ground.

Here’s the thing:

The deeper cost of imitation?

You miss the gold in your own becoming.

Because underneath the habit of imitation is usually something tender:

You care.

You want to do it right.

You want to be seen.

You want it to work.

You want to feel safe.

But here’s what I want to say to that part of you:

Your safety doesn’t come from getting it right.

It comes from getting it rooted in integrity and authenticity.

When you start from what’s true for you — not just what’s trending — you build something that can actually last.

The Turning Point

The Great Imitation Game ends the moment you choose to begin again… as yourself.

You’re not too late.
You’re not off-track.
And your voice is not “too much” or “not enough.”

You are ready to root down into authenticity and integrity.

That’s power.
That’s alignment.
That’s the beginning of real, sustainable growth.

Something to think about…

Where have I been subtly betraying my own rhythm?

Where am I shaping myself to match someone else’s path?

What would it look like to create from self-loyalty instead of comparison?

Final Thoughts...

Your own personal Growth Cycle matters.

Your voice matters.

Your way of creating and contributing matters.

The invitation is to return to your own creative integrity — and trust that what’s yours can’t be faked, rushed, or replicated.

The world doesn’t need more imitation.

It needs the real, imperfectly, soulful YOU.

Where are YOU on
The Growth Cycle?

Grow Your Own Way

Kate Vanden Bos

Kate Vanden Bos is the creator of The Growth Cycle, a nature-based framework for personal evolution.

She helps professional women reconnect with their energy, their seasons, and their soul’s true rhythm — so they can grow by design, not by default.

Kate’s work blends intuitive insight, grounded guidance, and a deep respect for the natural cycles that shape both our lives and our world

Learn more at MyGrowthCycle.com.

If you're feeling the pull to reconnect with your own rhythm of growth — to trust your season, your timing, your soul — begin here.