One of the fears of a public presence is the eventuality of having a mishap.  The more you write, record and  say, the odds are that there’s something you’ll say the wrong way.  You may overstep a boundary within your professional community.  You may screw up.  This eventuality of error is a huge preoccupation for my peers.

I caught this tweet from Chris Brogan this morning.  It’s profound in its simplicity but it captures what I’ve learned along the way.  I’m not alone here.  Sure there are people who might like to promote my mishaps.  But there are hundreds in my community who support and look after me in ways that you never see.  They serve as proofreaders and fact checkers gently reminding me when a something is misstated.  They reach out to show me with things that I may have missed.  They bring me things that I would never find on my own.  It’s humbling, really.

The act of public dialog is ultimately one of exposure and intimacy.  There are risks with that but the upside is amazing.