You are a multi-faceted human being and, in the words of Walt Whitman, you "contain multitudes."
Others don’t get to define you, you get to define yourself. People may label you or assign motives, but at the end of the day, your actions and thoughts are your responsibility.
This is why you are not a brand, no matter how popular or mainstream the term “personal branding” becomes. Brands can be shaped by us, but are ultimately defined by others. We, as humans, can be shaped by others, but ultimately we are defined by ourselves.
Originally published January 2014
