Well, it’s been a hot minute since I last wrote on here. But yeah, life happened. A bunch of things as usual, but one of it mainly being the business that is still surprisingly running despite whatever is going on in this world with the pandemic and all.
I’m not sure why I’m bothering to write about this. Maybe its because of the bronchitis since I can barely articulate myself without running out of breath after a minute of talking. Or maybe I feel like this topic has been coming up a lot in my personal life – especially those around me as I watch them struggle to find their footing when it comes to being authentic.
So, what does being authentic mean?
My whole career thus far has always been about encouraging brands to build their most true and authentic selves online because authenticity sells. And if done correctly, sells VERY well. But that’s the thing, is planning authenticity in hopes to connect with others really, truly authentic?
In a world where everything is curated, how does one live their most authentic versions of themselves?
I think we as humans will always want to curate ourselves because for the most part, we like the sense of control. But with the presence of social media now more prevalent in our lives, the need to project this ideal persona of your life while still trying to remain as “authentic” as possible is heavily blurring the lines between aspiration and fiction.
Yes, nowadays more and more people are sharing their shitty times online (and their drama definitely pulls in the crowds because this is as real as it can get). But it still makes me wonder though. Why do some people still, even after sharing their hopes as well as their sorrows online feel “fake”?
Now, I’m just spitballing here, but I think the root of the issue is the fact that there are spectators watching your every move you put out online while also having the ability to chime in on their opinions on what they think you should be doing (or not).
I mean think about it. Back in the day, sans social media, the only people we were forced to hear unsolicited opinions were from our family members, peers, and the occasional random stranger or two. Those were enough to reshape some of us for the rest of our lives.
Now think about this day and age with the presence of social media. If you had fifty thousand followers, that’s fifty thousand pairs of eyes on you with mouths that are readily happy to bombard you with their opinions.
I think it’s time we stop trying to be in the public eye so often.
Yes connectivity has improved a lot of our lives from both a personal to business standpoint, but anonymity is where it’s at.
I think if you truly want to live your most authentic self, the journey needs to start from within yourself, at the privacy of your own space, without having to share it with others. Well at least, not all the time.
Sometimes keeping things to yourself will not only save others from forming certain expectations about you, but it will also save you from experiencing a lot of grief from other people’s thoughts and opinions when things don’t go accordingly. Just a thought.
