Who am I? Always me. But how much me, depends on thee.
Margarita Diaz
I’m always me. Wherever I go, whoever I’m with, I am always the same Margarita. Authentically, me.
We use the word authenticity a lot lately, referring to being one’s true self. To me, this is as much about consistency as it is about honesty. If I’m being honest about who I am and showing that self to the world, then I’m consistent in the process. I don’t say or do something in one context that is inconsistent with what I say or do in another.
How MUCH “me” I get to be is another matter, and that depends not just on me, but also on “you”. If “you” is the workplace, it depends on how inclusive that environment is and both the cultural and workplace-specific norms for the type of sharing that is considered “too personal” for that setting.
As we strive to be more inclusive, how much is “too personal” keeps evolving. We want to be more cognizant of cultural differences in how much of ourselves we discuss at work, and we want to encourage a more open dialogue about prejudices and potential inequities. So some matters that used to be taboo are now being discussed more openly at work, yet others have become more sensitive and challenging as we become more divided on certain topics.
✨ We are often left feeling, “is it safe to be me?” And even when our answer is “yes” we are negotiating, “how much me, can I be?”
⚖️ We are constantly balancing being ourselves with allowing others to feel comfortable doing the same. The same could be said for our presence on social media.
❓Do you feel we are moving in the right direction when it comes to how much of our personal selves we can or should be in the workplace? How about on social media?
Great post. This is so difficult. I think authenticity is so important but it’s hard to be your true self, especially when living abroad. I am working on this. Regarding social media, I feel as if I don’t want to share everything. I taught my children not to do this. I guess I have my own boundaries there.
Thank you! It certainly is, and I’m with you on the social media sharing. We can definitely be authentic and maintain privacy in various aspects of our lives. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!