Our transparency and honesty are tested by revealing our areas of insecurity, difficulty and doubt. This is actually the most effective way to gain trust.
In fairytales, dragons guard the prize – the treasure, and with it the recognition and love that the hero is seeking. A symbolic interpretation of this story pattern would argue that the dragon is a part of us that prevents us from realizing our life’s purpose. Every morning, my dragon curls up around my shoulders and whispers: “Failure, failure, failure.” I am reluctant to rebel. It is tempting to succumb to the feeling of victimhood, of an unattainable dream, to accept the impossible as reality, and to remain stuck with the excuse of lack of talent or luck.
Heroes have the courage to face their fear dragons. I try to choose this every day, but the initiative requires me to take a risk outside of my comfort zone. Every time I prepare for a meeting where I am going to present the initiative, I knowingly risk rejection or ridicule, and although many studies show that in order to connect with people I must reveal myself as an authentic person, my heart freezes in the face of the dragon: “What to do? How is that going to work?” My dragon probably won’t leave, it’s there and I have to defeat it anew every day.
The world’s opening to freedom of information and transparency in the technology, communication and digital revolution, raised hopes that the freedom of information in the social network culture would increase users’ trust and their ability to build a range of valuable relationships. But instead, many times the use of these networks weakens and even degenerates abilities, skills and the potential for building interpersonal relationships.
The reason is the lack of trust – between users, and between them and the network owners. The race to get “likes” and achieve the status of network influencer leads to the presentation of a false, photoshopped profiles attempting to present an ideal world in which there are only successes. The personal and the professional blur – the person becomes a product, while products pretend to represent a human identity. Naturally, people are afraid to show weakness and vulnerability, and choose to emphasize their advantages. But that is no way to build trust.
Trust, an essential foundation of personal and business relationships, is built by direct and honest communication that touches the heart. It is precisely those who dare to reveal their vulnerability and sensitivity to those who are close to them, and sometimes to the general public, who win sympathy and trust. The same is true in the business arena – valuable and meaningful relationships with customers are the key to sustainable business success. It is my deep understanding that marketing based on manipulation is destined for failure in the long run. In an era of information overflow and a blurring of the line between truth and falsehood, it is much easier to connect with an authentic person or business, who also shows their points of weakness, but courageously touches hearts and conveys that “they can be trusted.” This is a marketing force of the first order.
The My Record initiative flowed from within me. From the need to share stories from my life without erasing the failures, and from the freedom I took to reveal my fears and vulnerabilities to intimates or strangers. The My Record platform allows each person to tell their stories in their personal voice, share and talk about them in order to deepen relationships with anyone they choose. On the business level, the application will allow any business owner, creator or professional to communicate honestly with their recipients and create valuable business relationships.
Recording a personal story framed in the place of its occurrence, as well as exposure and promotion of a business venture, require dealing with dragons. The value proposition of the My Record project is to allow every person an authentic expression of themselves and their work, to give a place to anyone who wishes to tell the stories of their life in their own voice, and to help anyone who wishes to face the dragons of silence and oblivion that stand in their way.
Boaz Tamir, ILE.
Leave a Reply