All These Damn Masks are Valueless
Posted by dan ronken
A recurring theme that has been running through my mind lately surrounds the topic of authenticity.
Ramana Maharshi, the late Indian sage, is famously known for repeatedly asking the question,
"Who am I?"
Rhetorical of course and this can only be answered by you.
If that inquiry is a little too much right now then I'll offer another one.
How much of myself am I willing to let others see?
When only thinking about your personal boundaries, that may be pretty simple. But what if you are in 'biz mode' and feel you must not show any vulnerability, because if you do, 'the other guy/gal' will surely seal the deal. They will storm in and swallow you whole, or worse yet, steamroll right over your business and leave you dumb and broke. Is that really true? Ok, I must admit I don't know which would be worse; to be steamrolled or swallowed whole. But I do know that we are enmeshed in a social web (both literally and figuratively) and people want to connect with you and it is an asset (not a liability) to let yourself be seen.
Here's an example that illustrates how letting your personal life show up will help you out in this world, as well as allow you to ride the gentle wave of social interactions in web 2.0. This can all be done while taking care of your family at the same time.
Take Chris Brogan, he is a definite thought leader in social connectedness on the web. Although I neglected to mentioned him in my three takeaways from Podcamp Boston, he truly exemplifies how to nicely blend personal and business mode both on and off the web.
During his talk, his daughter came running up to him and he gave her a huge embrace and his beaming smile could be felt from across the room. Finding no need in attempting to keep his train of thought, he recognized the importance of connecting with his daughter at that moment. He continued to make contact with her and gave her some t-shirts which she gleefully handed out to the crowd.
Personally, I've been guilty of getting angry at Lexi (my cat) for just wanting to head-butt my leg and then rub up against it. But no, this guy shooed her away as if she was a fly because I was in the middle of something extremely 'important.' Yeah right.
Now I'm not proposing that you barf your entire life story on unassuming prospects. All that I'm saying is, it may be desirable to open up a little bit and not to worry if something happens to 'interupt' your routine.
It just may end up being a sweet little serendipitous moment, unlike one you could have ever planned on your own accord.
Photo Credit: rumpleteaser