Know thy social self

 

I watched the Matrix again at the weekend and I forgot just how mind blowing that film is.

For those unfamiliar with the plot I’ll break it down for ya!

SPOILER ALERT

Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

One of the central themes in the series (we don’t talk about the sequels so much, they sucked) is this ability to understand who you are.

There is a scene in one of the later films where Neo meets the oracle (like all good heroes journeys, Neo needs a guide at this point).

Above the Oracles doorway are the words Temat Nosce, Latin for - Know Thyself.

Something too few of us contemplate I’d wager. How does this tie into our social story and our personal brand?

I have been formulating this idea for ages and it finally crystallised over the weekend.

I was watching my son swimming with two of friends in his swimming lesson and the simple interplay between them all triggered a lightbulb moment. 

And this is what it looked like.

I call it the creator triangle.

At the top of the triangle (the peak) sits your story core and it's made up of your core beliefs, this is the internal story you tell yourself. It’s made up of things like...

Expertise, Passion, Purpose, and the Personal.

It’s the heart ❤️ and mind 🧠 combined.

Mine are made up of trust, community and leadership. With a smattering of social, creativity and video knowledge.

What do you care deeply about and where is your area of expertise? (newsflash, those two things are more closely linked than you think.)

To the right of the triangle sits your PERSONAL BRAND. This is the language of how you choose to communicate all of this to the outside world. It’s the mechanism of delivery. This is done through your content and profile.

This can be done through

Tone

Nuance

Colour

Language

Content types

Humour

All the ways (either consciously or subconsciously) we communicate this message.

And lastly to the left is your SOCIAL AUTHORITY. This is where we validate our expertise and experience through social standing. The more followers who engage and agree with our philosophy (notice I use that word) give us more social authority, which feeds directly back into our STORY CORE.

Think about how all those mechanisms tie together and create a feedback loop. One feeds the other, allowing it to grow and solidify. Creating growth and cementing your expertise, voice and personal brand.

Beautiful isn't it. Glad I got that out of my head finally. See you next week for more Electric Dreams 🤘

#SocialMedia hashtag#StoryTelling hashtag#Philosophy hashtag#Values hashtag#PersonalBranding hashtag#ThatSocialNerd