on being genuine
Intent matters. A lot.
But at some point, intent becomes blurred as people begin buying into their own hype.
When people start to buy into their own hype or become self-proclaimed (anything) or adopt the labels other put on them, they become takers instead of givers. In other words, people who give anything – advice, help, interesting quotes, etc – are only givers as long as they don't take on the persona the world gives them. Once they do that, they are takers.
Are you a giver or a taker?
In this world of constant connection and instant updates, we are bombarded with seemingly innocuous statements. Some of them are interesting, some of them designed merely to share; some of them are written with a keen eye to the result, the result usually being an increase in something like status or money. Very little of what we see and read each day is put into the world without reservation or expectation. Everyone wants something.
As someone who came into their own before social media, I'm challenged by this. I don't buy into my own hype – I cringe when someone calls me a leader or innovator. But I can't say I don't like being recognized for what I do, after all having your work product treated with respect is incredibly gratifying. I appreciate every time someone comments about my work in a positive way. I like being thanked for what I do. I'm not alone in that, I know.
So where is the balance between giving and taking? Is is possible to merely give or must we always take too?
I don't know the answer, but I know I struggle with it.
What do you want to be?
For me it comes back to intent. Why do we do what we do? Why am I tweeting (or not tweeting) that thing? Why am I writing? Why am I sharing what I write?
Often I will write a post, share a tweet, offer a status update, and feel like I'm speaking to no one. At first that bothered me, but I've since realized that I'm only one person in a massive sea of people contributing to the larger conversation. Sometimes what I say will get a response, sometimes it won't.
I consider what I share, very carefully. I don't want to have my relationships live only online and I don't want people to think they know me because of what I post. I'm a reluctant sharer in many ways, choosing to leave a very large part of myself outside the pubic eye. But when I do share, it's rarely with the intent to sell anything or be anything other than what I am, at that moment.
It's here, actually, in this place that people have to search for, where the truest sense of me can be found. It's here that I can write with impunity, share with integrity and live with honesty. It's here that my intent can truly be seen and I am a giver, not a taker. I don't want to be that person – I don't seek greatness, I seek to be known for who and what I am, whatever that may be.
My intention is to be me, and only me. Not to take from others, but to simply give to the world.
What is your intention?
