For Mother’s Day, I was given a book to read called “Delicious”, and yes it was about food! It was a story based on real people with some fictional flavouring, not too dense to read over a long weekend but enough flavour to keep me entertained.
Food… how it fills our senses!
The pungent aroma of freshly ground Indian spices hitting the hot oil as it combines with sizzling garlic, or the delight of watching a perfect batch of cupcakes rise to a crescendo of glory in the oven. The electric staccato of the food processor whirring as it dices and slices fresh herbs, the feel of warm and pliable pizza dough as you knead and roll it to get the perfect pizza base. Finally, the sweet stickiness of a chocolate tart as it slips past your lips and reminds you of a special occasion with friends and family.
All of this got me to thinking about how food makes us feel; how we communicate through food.
At first I thought my love came from following the recipe itself, creating a perfect replica of the picture in the recipe book. The ingredients, the method, the discipline of getting it exactly right! But then I realised that whilst the ingredients and method are incredibly important to creating the perfect replica of the dish, it’s having the confidence in yourself to create the flavours that makes the dish uniquely you!
Anyone can add all the ingredients and mix… but it’s when you add texture, layers and flavours that it stops being just another recipe and starts becoming a gift from you. Trusting yourself enough to show who you are through the things that you create.
Being Social is so much like this!
There is pretty much a recipe on how to be ‘Social’ out there to suit everyone!
- The beginners guide to Social Media
- 10 Steps to being a Social Media guru
- Bootcamp for social dummies
- Talking savvy for a Social world
Now I’m not being critical about what these programs have to offer, they will all have a process to follow containing loads of instructions or even a “done for you” approach. Many of you will try these Social recipes, combining all of the ingredients and stirring rapidly. Some of you will even have your own version of success (or failure). So how do you get the mix right, what is the key to it all?
Like anything, having the right ingredients counts; following the steps to understand the recipe is critical but the heart of everything Social is to make it uniquely you. Give of yourself and allow people to see who and what you stand for and you will find your success. In fact, it will walk towards you with open arms. Be authentically you!
Discovering what it means to be Social is no different to tasting a new spice for the first time or reaching out and feeling the spring in a freshly baked cake; it’s just about trying something different and learning how to use it… one step at a time.