The ‘Golden Circle’ of Authenticity

The temptation when we’re looking to share on social media is to go straight for the ‘where’, ‘how’ and ‘what’.

What social media platform should I use? Where are my audience? What are other people doing?

It’s a lot of questions, and a lot of mental noise. And that’s before you’ve even switched on your phone and laptop to immerse yourself in even more noise.

As Simon Sinek says in his brilliant TED talk, most people start from the clearest thing rather than the fuzziest thing. The more obvious ‘stuff’ of what and how, rather than digging a bit deeper to the ‘why’ of what’s really important.

But although it’s less obvious, it’s actually easier, in a funny way, to connect to that fuzzy, subtle feeling within, rather than the whats and hows and wheres that are more obvious to grab on to.

Because it’s actually a process of simplifying, removing, emptying.

Starting from presence, from a feeling of connection with self, often requires turning off everyone else, including your own mind chatter, and tuning in to the soft and subtle feelings within.

Letting going of anything that’s unnecessary and remembering what’s true for you. What’s real and alive and needs to be expressed.

Not even necessarily a big, grand ‘why’, just what’s real and alive for you right now.

Inspired by Simon Sinek’s ‘Golden Circle’, I have created my own Golden Circle of Authenticity, with the centre of the circle, that feeling of connection, being your starting point – and moving out from there: –

1. Feel
2. Speak
3. Share

Another way of putting this is –

1. Who you are
2. What you would like to share/ say
3. How you share it

Usually by starting with number one, numbers two and three look after themselves… and flow along with less mental noise, and more clarity and focus. And what’s more, your communications will have an unbeatable richness, vibrancy and depth of connection, that others will respond to.

Does this resonate? Would love to hear your thoughts.