Everything we do, wear, eat, drink has some form of branding. Depending on your income category, you will wear certain brands and decide that people wearing similar branding, is your tribe. Similar income, similar lifestyle.
You are happy to wear the branding of certain outdoor clothing ranges, “high end” handbags, shoes, and many more. Branding endorsed by famous movie stars, sport stars, etc. You are proud when people notice the car you drive, you like to be noticed in certain restaurants.
The very sad reality is that all the creators of those brands only care about your money. Money is their branding.
Do you know your personal branding?
In this whole process, do you know who you are?
Do you define yourself by a specific type of branding? Do you spend the major part of your day (life), salary/income and decision making, around obtaining certain brands and living a life that reflects that brand? So that you can be accepted in society?
Why are you not proud of your own branding?
You and I are our own brand. You and I are a walking advertisement of ourselves, of our brand.
It does not matter what I wear, drive or where I eat, it can never define me. If I am not true to my own branding, then it is a whole lot of other people’s dreams I am wearing, copy, aspire too. People who do not even know of my existence, but I am prepared to sell myself short to push their branding.
In a world, where we live a very disposable life, the only lasting thing in my world : I.
Until the day I die on this earth, I am my constant companion, the mirror to the world of who I am. In my world, I am proud of who I am, I have self-love, I know where I am going and what I want. I know how I want the world to see me and value me, and being someone else, by punting their brand, does not allow me the opportunity to introduce the world to me.
You are beautiful, you are perfect, you have life purpose, you have confidence, you have style – introduce the world to you.
How do you build your own brand?
· Be Authentic. Be yourself, therefore know yourself. Do you really know who you are – your likes and your dislikes. Your strengths and your weaknesses. You own sense of humor. If you are scared to speak up about your true self, you are in the wrong company, and I will leave that fancy handbag and car just there and run as fast as I can. Never be ashamed of yourself. You only deny your own needs and purpose when you suppress the true you. That is why peer pressure is such a big thing with teenagers – teenagers still discover themselves, that is what they are supposed to do. If you did not speak up as a teenager, take some time now and do it. Find the authentic you! You might just fall in love.
· Know your Goal / Purpose. We all have different goals. As the saying goes : Find your purpose and then give it away. Some might have an effect on the world at large, some feel comfortable on a much smaller stage. We all, each and everyone, have a soul purpose on this earth – that is your goal. You are not here to be a people-pleaser. Push out your chest and stand tall – you have a message through your goal. Chase your goal. There is an amazing side effect to this – life become fun. There is a light that shines from you and lightness and joy becomes your constant companion.
· What is the message you want to tell the World? And the “world” might be the people you work with and your friends, it might be as chairman of local groups and societies. The “world” might be one person, what matters, is your message. Is it one of love, leadership, caring, laughter, positivity? Choose a message or two and make it your own. We all are motivated and moved by different things – that “thing” is your Thing – your purpose and you have to send that message out into the world in your unique way. That is where your strength is going to lie. Find it, acknowledge it, and carry it out to the world.
· Choose your colours and logo. What do people “see” when they think about me? I know many people who will be classified as dull by some people. But I think they are the most colourful people. They open my mind, they make me think wide and in spectacular multi colours. They do not have a fixed logo on paper. They have a different logo for each person they interact with, and that is wonderful, because their message to the world remains the same – but it influences us all differently. Find your logo and your colours and be proud of it – how different it might be for every person, does not matter. Love is love. Does not matter what colour it comes in – for some it is pink, for other it is red. But LOVE is LOVE!
· You are not a budget or spreadsheet. It is not about the bottom line in how popular you were. You can never like every person you meet and every person you meet is not likely to like you. And that is perfectly good. I really do not want to be everyone’s friend. This is not Facebook – it is not about how many likes you receive. It is about how many people in your life is true and real friends. You cannot be a true friend to each of your friends if you are out to win the popularity contest. You will not have the time. The bottom line here is about what you leave behind when you walk out the room.
We are all here with the same aim – to be happy, to love and feel love! How we get there does not matter. We want a life that counts and is fulfilled. We want to matter, but sadly, we are happy to do that, and hopefully achieve it, through someone else’s dreams.
Today, embark on that journey as yourself – do not load your suitcase with people’s branding. Load your true, authentic self and feel how light life becomes and feel the wind in your hair as you fly high up in the sky.
I am defined by my being, I am defined by my love and caring, I am multi-complex. So are you! My brand shouts compassion, love, caring, joy, and I wear it like a coat made of gold. Weave and sew your own coat – come on. Join me.
Become a multi-millionaire in happiness and contentment.
Become untouchable in your authenticity. You might just start a whole new branding. Imagine that!
Sue Leppan
Transformation Life Coach
NLP Practitioner
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueLeppanLifeCoach/
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