I sent a picture to my friend yesterday of her and her husband goofing around. It wasn’t blackmail material, but it wasn’t overly flattering either. Her response back to me was a plea, “Don’t post that picture on Facebook, please!”

Of course I wouldn’t, but it made me think of my own recent fashion faux-pas on Facebook. I had gone on a casual walk in the woods with friends and photos of me in my yellow Wellies were posted for all to see. When I saw the photo, I recoiled and immediately considered the need to purchase a new pair of boots, something more stylish like my friend’s Bogs.

Normally when I am out venturing in the woods, I don’t consider the clothes I am wearing, nor my hair or makeup. “I rarely meet others, so what’s the point,” I thought. But, in this digital age one never know what friendly paparazzi is hiding around the next oak tree!

The other day, my kids took a picture of me when I was working in my garage and then morphed it with a new iPhone application that fattens and ages your image! (The real image is the photo on the far left.) I started having visions of these heavier and older versions of myself being beamed across cyberspace. I pictured someone in the future Googling my name and finding these photos.

“Oh My Goodness”, I thought. “I have to be on guard at all times!” I began to understand how celebrities must feel not being able to go for a good cup of Jo without getting all dolled up. While the images were a reminder to keep going to yoga class and maintain a healthy respect for my body, the photo also made me realize our image (both literally and figuratively) can be distorted and yet appear very real.

Then it occurred to me that it wasn’t my casual wardrobe or even my boots that I had to change, it was my attitude. Yes, the world may see how I look as I take a private stroll in the woods. Or, someone may take my image and distort it for their own amusement, but who cares! I prefer to be seen as ‘put together’, but I can’t be at my best all the time, who can? I needed to, “Get over myself!”

Each day, our new age of technology and Social Media are pushing us to be and live more openly and authentically. When I do workshops and speaking engagements on Social Media, the bulk of questions are around image and privacy concerns. While we all have to be vigilant to ensure we are not putting ourselves in harm’s way, today’s technology is like a karmic accelerator forcing us to speak, write and live openly and honestly.

People ask me if they should have a different profile (read image) on each of the Social Media communities (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter). While we do have different facets of ourselves, there is only one Self, and I believe the time has come to bring that Self out in all its glory and gore!

So, as I took my morning walk today, I dawned my yellow boots and threw my head up to the sky and laughed. Who am I kidding. I’m not going to spend $100 on a pair of boots to tramp around in a bog. Rather, I am going to “Get over myself!”

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