It’s an average Wednesday evening.
You sink into the couch.
Kick off your heels.
Grab the remote and settle into whatever show your best friend has talked you into watching this week.
In my case, it’s “Hannibal” on Netflix. Cue my husbeast handing me a cuppa and some nibbles and you have an average Wednesday turned into the perfect evening. (Well, if it was the perfect evening, I’d be in my PJs by 4pm.)
However, back to the show. Mads Mikkelsen is giving another fantastic performance as Lecter.
I’m hooked.
That is until Hannibal utters this phrase:
Therapy only works when we have a genuine desire to know ourselves as we are. Not as we would like to be.
Hannibal Lecter (S2E9)
Not only is this a hell of a scene and a beautiful window into Hannibal’s mind, it also represents the flip side of our digital selves.
This scene got me thinking about how the opposite is true when it comes to how we market ourselves.
Because our digital self is a form of marketing.
How you present yourself as you want to be seen and not as you are.
The truly wise individuals are those who are open about their well-selected failures, creating an air of authenticity. However, the reality is those failures often convey something different altogether.
People above all crave connection.
To be seen.
To be heard.
To be seen and heard in a way which is chosen by them.
Ah, there in lies the secret to all social media – a domain where we shape and are shaped by our digital selves.
It’s not entirely our fault.
Social media platforms also have a say in how content is seen.
What works on one platform doesn’t always work on another.
But our digital personas have advantages.
The opportunities are almost limitless.
You can build the life you want because of your digital self.
Hell, you’re reading a post right now on a site I designed. (See what I did there Hannibal lovers?)
With access to the internet and a keyboard, you can craft the life you want.
So, my question to you is: How do you want the world to see you?
Do you have an answer?
Good.
Now, go build!