So Much To Share. But Should You?
I’ve been thinking a lot about sharing lately. Actually, I’ve been thinking a lot about sharing ever since I was told to share my bed with my cousin Laurie when she slept over at age 9. “But wait … It's MY bed. Why should I have to share it?!?”
Since then, I’ve grown to appreciate the deep importance of sharing. It's how we connect, it's how we grow, and it's how we pay it forward. I’m such a believer in sharing that I’ve been to Burning Man – the ultimate sharing community – six times.
Unfortunately, sharing has gotten complicated lately. Social media has ushered in an age of over-sharing, and it’s making me “sharing confused.” I want to share the good stuff in my life on social media to celebrate the things I love: friends, travel, nature, joy. But I also want to be thoughtful about my shares, since these sharing platforms (especially FB and Insta) have enabled sharing to unlock a lot of bad sh*t.
So allow me to share the three questions I ask myself before posting anything on social media:
What is driving my desire to share? What is my intention in putting an idea, image or message into the world. What reaction or impact am I hoping to get? Once I’m clear on my sharing purpose, I’ve leapt over the first hurdle.
Is this a net positive share? We live in challenging times. There’s a lot of negativity out there. So I always want my shares to be positive, even when the topic might be tough. Why share if the intention is not a positive one?
How much energy am I willing/able to devote to my share? Sharing takes energy. Energy to prepare the share and energy for dealing with the impact of the share. So I try to anticipate the energy needed to make sure I’m ready to proceed.
Despite my social media sharing confusion, as a coach I am deeply committed to sharing the wisdom I’ve gained over many decades. All those ideas about how to live a life anchored in what matters most … how to step into change and believe you can keep evolving ... how to stare down your fears and embrace vulnerability …. how to release self-limiting beliefs and crash through your upper limits. What’s the use of having wisdom if you aren’t going to share it, right?
So I share as freely as I can, with my friends, my family and, when it comes to wisdom, with my clients … wherever that wisdom might serve.
If you’re ready to share your aspirations in work or life, reach out and let’s talk. I love sharing any insights which might be helpful, and I happily offer complementary “Possibility Sessions” to help you get clear on what matters most.