This one has been simmering for months and one of the reasons for this has been this cunning plan to thread different subjects together into one.
The first of the “subjects” was this – in this day & age of folks trying to portray themselves on online media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, blogs, websites and much more) as one or more of the following identities or versions and definitely not their real selves, should I for one be peeling away a few layers to expose the more realistic “me”?
According to Chat GPT, these are some of the categories that folks are trying to project themselves as on online media –
- Successful
- Happy & Emotionally fulfilled
- Attractive or Desirable
- Interesting or Unique
- Morally Good or Socially Aware
- In Control
- Belonging to the “right” tribe
- Authentic – I keep feeling that this article may fall into this category though it is not my intention to tailor it for this category or space. In this space, one more observation needs to be added.
Recently, folks in my line of work (and some not) have been connecting with me on Linked In and other media, calling me and messaging me. They say they like the work I am doing, they like the articles I write, and want to understand what made me move into education after leaving the corporate sector in my fifties. Some want to explore if they can collaborate on specific projects, some want to explore if they can partner with me financially.
So all of this is definitely massaging one’s ego and all but brings me back to
1. The old “me” before I got onto social media – this should become an article in its own right probably titled “My cringeworthy past lives”
2. In my journey towards the current mentally satisfying (and financial pauperism) work I do, I ignored some very obvious signals that could have saved me months if not years of burning money waiting for the “light” to shine and show me the path.
The author Po Bronson sums this 2nd point very well – “Never underestimate our ability to ignore the obvious. So often, that’s what keeps us from clarity – not a lack of desire.”
I think I’m attempting to take a reality check in public – on online media. Harakiri some would say but this is my way of attempting to stay “true” and not fall into the above listed online avatars, though it may be argued that I’m heading towards the last one – Authentic. I leave all judgement/s to the readers.
In fact, I am going to publish these words, so that it is out of my system and then revisit and expand on the two threads – the transformation from the old me to the current me with a different value system & the long and expensive journey to understand what I wanted to achieve in the latter half of my life.
Till the next episode —-
