It was bound to happen.

The online return to raw and real.

From the caricature filtered selfies rendering the person unrecognizable if you saw them on the street.

To the current avalanche of AI generated content without heart or soul.

All the falsehood and filters and artificial identities are cracking under the weight of our hunger for real.

A growing hunger for doing business with real people, not with people hiding behind the veil called a brand.

A growing hunger to shed the masks that have kept us separate and alone

What we are witnessing in the context of systemic constellation theory is the energetic system seeking a state of balance.

Yes, our online presence has an energetic component just like our real lives!

And when there’s a huge disconnect between real life and online life, it creates tension.

For everyone.

But often when an energetic “correction” like this happens, it’s easy to go too far in the opposite direction.

You know – the pendulum swinging from one extreme to the other before it finds center.

So here are three suggestions for when you decide to shed the mask and reduce the disconnect between your on and offline life.

Don’t rip the band aid off and start sharing your deepest dark secrets online.

Just as you share certain things with your spouse, certain things with your co-workers, and certain things with your best friend, be mindful that online is a public space and being raw and transparent doesn’t mean making yourself vulnerable to injury or hurt.

Keep select guardrails in place. You can still be an honest version of yourself online without sharing deeply personal things that are best kept between you and those closest to you.

Don’t confuse authenticity with vulnerability

When you align your online actions with your core values, you are being true to yourself.

Being real online has more to do with inner integrity than “baring your soul.”

Don’t get caught up in numbers and metrics.

While I don’t have a “statistical study, I’ve read numerous first hand accounts from folks who had lots of likes and followers that had little impact on their life / business / revenue.

So focus on providing meaningful, actionable, and insightful content that aligns with your core values – not on the metrics.

☆ Your uniqueness is what makes the world a brighter place. Without it, you would just be another cog in the machine.

Keep showing up and sharing as only you can.