It turns out this little thing we call the internet, which has spawned off many love children, has created a bit of a monster.  I don’t know if any of you noticed.

A few days ago, I was listening to Duran Duran on my Sony Walkman while trying desperately to finish this Rubik’s Cube I have been working on for weeks and this skater came over and said “Dude you are so cool.  I am Instragraming this.  Old School Nerdie Dude.”  I was like, what are you talking about.

Turns out, I am behind on the times.

There is a reasonably important point to my anecdote.

With the onslaught of social media, it seems many of us are trying desperately to create a “Brand” for ourselves.

• Chief Fun Officer
• Chief People Officer
• Communication Maven
• Digital Prophet
• Fashion Evangelist
• Hacker-In-Residence
• Chief Curator
• Innovation Sherpa
• Futurist
• Chief Happiness Officer

Yes, these are all real and official job titles.

My question is, “When did we stop being ourselves?”

I like coffee, going for long walks, red wine, dining out, traveling, writing, taking a long stretches first thing in the morning, warm showers (not too hot), vegetables, sitting in the rain, dreaming, disc golf, painting, being a total dork.

Does that mean I have to change my title to “Chief Dork in charge of drinking wine and coffee and taking long showers while dreaming of travel and disc golf”

No.  No it doesn’t.  What we seem to have lost sight in is that we are who we are.  We aren’t required to document it and flaunt it.  Just because the medium is there.  What is more fascinating, is that we will spend more time creating an image for ourselves than we do being productive in life.

Let me know when we have the titles:

• Chief Facebook Addict
• Instragram Snob
• Chief Twit
• Head of Candy Crush Edibles
• Head of Wasting My Life on Words with Friends

Focus your attention on being the best “YOU” possible.  Take your energies and harness them to your work, life family.  As our lives are getting easier with technology, our laziness is hitting all time highs.  Stop pretending to be something.  We are inherently simple people with simple dreams and simple lives.  Some achieve extraordinary.

Look closely at the extraordinary people throughout history.  They are just normal people doing memorable things.

Was Einstein “Crazy Hair Guy”

Was Steve Jobs “Crazy Idea Guy”

Was Edison “Works to Hard Guy”

They were just Einstein, Jobs and Edison, innovation legends.

No flashy titles or brands.  Just contributing greatness.  Think about it.