Category: introspection

  • Words Still Matter

    Even in the ever-bloated Interwebs, words still count for something. There may no longer be equal opportunity for self-publishers because of the noise. But words still fit in the chain of changing each person’s outcome.

    Thoughts > Words > Actions > Habits > Lifestyles > Destiny

    Some people hate on words, because they aren’t actions, and actions “do”.

    But you could just as easily hate on thoughts because they don’t speak. 

    It’s an important link in the chain of designer destiny. There are thousands of thinkers who don’t speak for every speaker who doesn’t “do”. A person isn’t wiser or happier because they chose to leave their thoughts and opinions inside their own heads. They’ve just managed to avoid criticism and conflict, which happen to be important components to affecting change in the world.

    Be careful not to resent words. Just be sure to take the next step when the time is right.

    Photo credit: –Filippo– via Foter.com / CC BY


  • What’s the Truest Sentence You Know?

    Hemingway once said:

    All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know. 

    Here goes:

    Each new day, just as the sun reaches the tops of the forest trees as it rises, a haze of confusion battles against the fear of being a disappointment, and they grapple until a winner is declared. (more…)


  • Choosing Action Is Better

    There are days when nothing seems to make sense. When blogging is a fool’s errand. And all you want to do is lie on the couch and watch other people’s drama on the tube.

    Yesterday was one of those days. Indifference reared its ugly head and said, “I don’t care what everyone needs today. I don’t care about much of anything.” And after hearing the all too familiar spiel, I made my choice to do something else today. I chose to care. 

    And then I got up off my ass and did something.

    Photo credit: marc thiele via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND


  • Lessons Learned From Running A Sports Forum

    More than a year ago, I started a Facebook group. The subjects of focus are my favorite pro football and basketball teams. It’s nothing huge – maybe 120 members – but the engagement level is high among the top 20 percent.

    You learn a lot about people and yourself by running a forum. The dynamics of how people share, what people care about, what people will tolerate, what people won’t tolerate, and the breaking point at which friends become bitter are fascinating dynamics I’ve observed over time.

    (more…)


  • Getting Beyond The Stiff And Serious

    When I feel unsure of myself in a group, I tend to behave very seriously, emoting very little. I’d give away nothing, for fear of sharing something that this particular group might not appreciate or, even worse, criticize.

    If that sounds like you, take comfort knowing that you’re not the only one. If you feel locked up inside, afraid to share the real you, we need to talk.

    (more…)


  • Do You Focus On Others or Self?

    I had a heart to heart with my wife the other day about blogging. It’s a common subject in our house because A) it’s our family business and B) it’s been my passion since 2005.

    When I started blogging, everyone was still on MySpace and I could spam friend request people in other countries in hopes that they would read my blog posts when they were published.

    Fast forward an entire decade, and I still love blogging, though my methods of garnering traffic are somewhat different. Nowadays I just share a quote from each post with a link on Facebook and Twitter and live with what comes.

    Granted, when I write, it’s nowhere near as impactful or popular as when my wife writes. That’s partly because she has such a large following; but it’s mostly because she writes valuable content that people want to read and to share with their friends.

    Back to my story. So we were talking about blogging, and I asked her why she thinks my primary blog never got traffic or attention like hers.

    “Most people who bloggged when I got started were writing to themselves about themselves. I was writing to people about things they wanted to know.”

    And there it is. The majority of my posts are like diary entries. They’re about me, just like, ironically, this one is. I know a lot about me, and so when I write, I write about me.

    Most of the time that’s a mistake. I mean, unless you’re already a celebrity like Mark Cuban or Ashton Kutcher, not enough people care about what’s going on in your (or my) life to be a faithful reader.

    It’s not that we aren’t each unique and special and interesting in our own ways. We are. But the difference between 2015 and 2005 is that in 2005 you only had MySpace and Google/Yahoo to find stuff. That was about it.

    In the past decade, tens of millions of new information channels have sprung up, all vying for attention. It’s worse than drinking from a fire hose. It’s like trying to drink Noah’s flood.

    With email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, text messaging and dozens of other mainstream communication channels at our fingertips,  we spend more time deciding what to ignore than what to read.

    So the criteria of what is read-worthy has skyrocketed. Now we only have time for Facebook, a couple emails, and MAYBE click a news link on Facebook to see what’s happening in the world out there.

    So in 2015, if you want to move beyond just blogging and run a blog that people actually read, you’ve got to consistently publish compelling articles. You’ve got to be unique. You’ve got to stand out in the crowd of noise and spam.

    For Heather, the path to relevance took her through day after day of painstaking research. But research wasn’t enough. There are plenty of dry and boring data portals on the web.

    No, Heather’s blog stands apart because she mastered a way to deliver killer research with adorable relatability. She’s the girl next door. She’s easy to understand, and she often gets a laugh out of the first paragraph.

    That endearing combo put her on the map, while I was busy updating the style of my blog and sharing my latest personal conundrum.

    So the REAL lesson learned here is to speak the language of the people you want to reach. And yet… the lesson I learned was somehow very different.

    Unlike you, who should follow Heather’s successful model, I will continue to blog about myself. Not because I want you to think I’m special. I’ve pretty much given up that dream. No, I will continue to blog about my own thoughts and ideas because I think I’m a relatable person. I think the ideas shared here might resonate with a few of you out there.

    Maybe the style will prevent me from ever reaching the level of Mommypotamus. That’s okay. I think. But more important is to follow the #1 lesson from my favorite book, Blogging Heroes, which is to be true to yourself.

    Others may see your work as selfish or self-serving. But if your style demands an unpopular stance, take your stand proudly and don’t stop.

    Be you. You are the best you we will ever have.


  • Focus Can Make Or Break You

    Focus is a brutal thing. Or, it can be. When things have been going consistently wrong for a while, and you feel like you’ve been beaten, it’s easy to focus on the negative because you’re surrounded with it. I know. I’ve been there.

    But like Michael Hyatt says, “The way to improve your marriage is cultivate and expand what’s working instead of dwelling on what’s not.”

    (more…)


  • Enjoy the Silence

    There are things we do not say because we feel we can’t. There are words which would unravel all we have built. The castles in our minds. The images we have portrayed.

    So we project these silent images into space. By the sheer power of our heartfelt emotion. Beaming untold things to unknown beings.

    All so we can continue. To enjoy the silence.

     


  • How Does the Rest of the World See You?

    It’s fascinating how little we know about ourselves. It’s even more fascinating how much we discover we already knew once we have an expert tell us who we really are.

    Sometimes we’re just looking for affirmation or permission to be who we’ve always dreamed of being, but never truly stepped into. (more…)


  • Leave It to Fate Or Press Into Destiny?

    When it comes to fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny, is it a matter of submitting to God/Fate or is it a matter of proactive decision making, perseverance, and determination? (more…)