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I’ve just come back from a fantastic trip in the Highlands of Scotland with my family.
We spent time walking in the forests and enjoying the area with its many castles and incredible views.
The weather was wonderful and we had a great time just being together and enjoying each other’s company. There was no signal on my mobile for most of the time so I had no calls and it was so peaceful.
Then last night after we’d flown back I saw that there was a programme on TV titled Inside Facebook.
This was a programme discussing the up and coming floatation of the multi-billion pound company.
The presenter of the show was taken around the offices of Facebook where we could see lots and lots of people all staring at their screens and looking shut off from the outside world.
An online world?
Another section was about the games being created online for Facebook and the presenter was interviewing two gamers (both in their twenties / thirties) about a certain game where you could create your own online world with pets.
At this point I started to feel the tension and the need to turn off the TV or rather throw my controller at it and run out and take the first flight back to Scotland or to run out into our woods to get away from technology.
I’m not a luddite
Now before you think I’m a luddite or crazy I do enjoy social media (I have a big following and engage with many thousands of people online and generate a lot of income from it too) but having spent some quality time away with my family this whole technological online world really hit me between the eyes and made me realise even more that I couldn’t be without my family and friends around me.
The online world is great but we must not neglect the contact with the ‘real’ world.
I have met many, many amazing people online and interviewed some incredible people for my radio show but it’s when I speak to them for more than 140 characters or the limit of Facebook that I get to know them properly
My main point in this post is to say that we mustn’t ignore the real world.
Social media is an amazing way to connect with people and as I’ve said I’ve connected with so many of my time online and some have become good friends and I do mean ‘real’ friends but you cannot beat real connection.
Some of my clients I have never met because they live on the other side of the world, but I have taken time to get to know them. We talk on Skype and we laugh together. I help them build their business but we also talk about what their partners have been doing or what their kids or even their animals are up to.
I take time to get to know them and it is this that builds the strong relationships.
I love spending time chatting to them and hearing great feedback about the recent help I gave them just as much as listening to them tell me about what exciting things have happened in their lives outside of work.
I think what I’m trying to say is be real, be you and really connect with people. Find out about them and get to know who they are.
Being fake won’t pay off
One of the people on the TV programme said that who he is online is only 60-70% genuine, so he is not being real online.
I think this is where we need to change. A fake will get found out eventually.
Every time I’ve filmed an episode for my TV channel and I have talked about a topic that is close to my heart and I have shown genuine emotion it has got more comments and views and this to me shows that being ‘real’ works and people are wanting this approach more and more.
Celebrity nonsense
We live in a world of celebrity nonsense and being told who said what and what ‘they’ think about such and such. But to be honest how do the papers know what ‘they’ are really thinking. It’s guess work and again not ‘real’
Being real works and here’s proof.
I received this from one of my followers recently
“You are a high profile on my twitter and Facebook
Thank you for all the inspiration you have given me and for who you are.
Hoping that you will still continue to inspire others this year with bigger dreams and reaching for higher goals.
Thank you for being you. ”
This really touched me when I read this. I have never met this person but it just goes to show that being real and honest works.
Be real and be YOU
So my friends be real. Be YOU because YOU have lots to share and your readers / viewers or listeners want to hear about whom the real YOU is.
Being real brings great dividends and people will connect with you on a real level instead of a digital 140 character, tagged photo or a ‘liked’ page.
Do you share your stories on Social Media?
What experiences have you had when sharing the ‘real’ you online?
If you enjoyed this post, please share it, like it and tweet it out.
Thanks for sharing
Simon
