The Value Of Your Personal Brand Is Tantamount To Your Reputation...
I think some are confused about the real meaning of Personal
Branding. In many cases, it's thought to be solely an online tool to increase
one's profile. Of course it can do that and that's all well and good. Others
believe its primary function is to assist us with being discovered online by
recruitment companies and the like. You get the picture. In short, by many, Personal
Branding is considered to give one an elevated online profile.
While it's important to ensure that we prominently promote
ourselves online, equally as important, is how
we promote ourselves. First, ask
yourself what your purpose is. I come across many men and women who say their
only purpose in life is to support their family, or, to climb the corporate
ladder. And whilst these goals and aspirations are worthy, in my opinion they are
not enough. To be able to live a fuller life, we need to establish our purpose;
something far bigger than generic personal, or family goals. This means
discovering what we are here to do. Better still, what kind of legacy we wish
to leave.
I firmly believe that each of us need to have a purpose that
as well as being personally motivated, is universally
motivated. That's to say, bigger than just about us and/or our nearest and
dearest. The world is more connected now, more than it ever has been, which means
we now have the means to communicate with far more people than we ever have. We
have the opportunity to let large numbers know who we are, moreover, how we can affect
their lives. Some of us will write a book, others teach, perhaps help a
charity, or maybe learn a new skill that will have a positive impact on
others.
It doesn't matter what your purpose is, what does matter is
that you have one. For instance, you might decide to help an elderly neighbour
with their shopping. Perhaps visit someone in a home or hospital. Give a small
amount of cash to a charity. These relatively small acts of generosity tend to
ignite our ability to think outside the box. Furthermore, these kinds of deeds lead
us to releasing dopamine, affectionately known as the "happy
hormone." In addition, it kick starts the process of us developing our
bigger purpose with greater ease and leads us to greater self discovery.
We now have the facility to spread our word both quicker and more effectively than any other time in
history. Surely we can make our purpose wider than just about what we
personally want. Our reputation can be
further enhanced, or damaged according to how we portray ourselves. And in
order to enhance our reputation, to a degree, will depend how others talk about
us. In addition, we need to become kinder, more thoughtful and generous. These
three characteristics will change our way of thinking, and change the way we
are perceived.
Garnering a top-notch reputation is no mean feat. First, you
must know what your purpose is. It's not enough to say 'My purpose is to be a
great provider to my family.' Of course that's important and something to be
proud of. My point is, that in order to garner a stellar reputation, we need to
be known for what we do outside of our personal life. For instance, my purpose,
outside my personal life is to help and guide men and women to become more
authentic. Discovering yours will be a life changing event.
To discover your purpose follow the steps below:
* Consider doing something for somebody else -
unconditionally
* Think of goals that include others outside of your nearest
and dearest
* Give of yourself to those less fortunate than you
* Express gratitude for what you do have
* Do consider how it might be for others - who are less
fortunate than you
* Use kindness and empathy towards others if need be
