Also, this just in...

Where are you going next year?

Ideas, Blogs, Changes, & Minimalism

I have been working on re-vamping my blog (in case you hadn't noticed). I'm not done, and there are some things I'm still trying to figure out. I don't know how long it will take, and I don't know if it will even have any real effect other than making me mildly more pleased with what I do in my spare time. But there it is, and this is where we begin.

The result is this: I have been reading several blogs the past couple days as a research method for figuring out how to edit my own and make it more user friendly, more professional looking, etc. This included some for fun (and because I like how their blog is arranged), some by chance, some because I like their ideas and check in regularly to hear the newest musings, and some because they were recommended by those I trust.

I browsed around this site for awhile to see what this guy was all about. I haven't read it all yet (don't know if I will), and I haven't even fully formulated what I think of him, or whether I agree with all his ideas. Still, it's food for thought, and as I try to continually grow and become more the person I should be, I am excited to see/hear new ideas and gain insight from others. I've browsed the free sample of his e-book, and downloaded (though not yet read all of) his newest writing about starting a movement. Check out the free e-book here.

One of the most recent posts from my friend was pretty thought provoking. I have never thought about guest-posting. I don't know how I would go about that. I don't have tons of interaction with 'online friends' and most people who read this blog are friends or family that know me in 'real life'. I don't even know if I want this to get that big, that demanding of my time.

Then, because the most recent perusal has been from mr. minimalist, I was contemplating if that lifestyle was something I would ever be able to do myself. Would I be able to de-clutter my life to less than 100 things? Would I be able to support myself? What would I be willing to give up or change to see this happen? More importantly: What are my personal life goals? What does that look like if I am taking action to make them reality? Is all this thinking just that and nothing else? And if that's the case, should I knock it off and get back to work?

But it's interesting, and worth thinking about anyway. It makes me wonder if there is any way I could be good enough at this to 'accidentally' (or even purposely for that matter) earn my entire income (or even a bonus part of it) from writing online. I haven't looked into how to actually make that happen, and I don't know that I want to get there. I mean, it would be nice to have some extra money coming in because of the time I spend getting my thoughts out, and trying to bring something worthwhile to the board. However, that's not the goal here. The goal is what you're reading right now. Getting it out.

Thoughts? Reactions?
I'd appreciate your input.

getting sucked in

there are far too many sites to interact with/watch/see pictures of/stalk other people. strange. very.

and yet.

i'm getting sucked in.
wholly and completely.
and quickly.

it's rather frightening.


it all started with email. darn that new internet thing. back in the... whenever it was... moving on.

then came facebook - and i held off. it got huge while i was in college, but i didn't really care. heck, i hardly checked email that much, except when i had to for class stuff. suddenly, it was how i stayed in contact with my couple friends from high school, and those who had graduated from college - i believe it began with staying in touch over the first summer. i graduated, email was part of everyday life, like phone calls. no biggie.

and then.
facebook.
i caved. it is now part of my life - like email. although it seems to be dwindling in many ways - especially with people my age. it seems to still be pretty big with high schoolers and with parents who keep family and friends updated about their kids and such. i must admit, i love being able to see pics of my sweet niece whenever my brother or sister have time to post them. i also am thrilled with the fact that i can keep updated with friends and family who live out of town, out of state, even out of the country. fabulous. even if it's getting 'old' it still serves a fairly decent purpose.

ok. so. recap: email - check. facebook - check. twitter? youtube? blogging? others? not so much. yet.

sure, i used youtube to look stuff up, i watch videos. i do not videoblog. i don't have a youtube channel. although, thanks to mrboyproductions, i started check their youtube channel (and now a few others) from time to time. great videos. example here.

then my brother stepped in.
he uses the internet in a way i hadn't even thought about (really) before. he gets to know people. part of this is because he's just cool like that. when he was in edinburgh, he met some of these people. but he 'knew' several of them before. crazy. he plays chess. he makes up riddles. they converse, trade ideas, jokes, favorite beers. he met this one guy from scotland. well, before that he sent me this video (very funny) to watch, that a friend had shared with him. and he kept following this scottish guy and shortly thereafter found and sent me this one (yes, we're Doctor Who fans...) and then ... he (my bro) met him when he was there for a year. they're actually friends now - at least from what i can gather.

then i began this blog. it's been a year and a half already - what??!?!? - and this (woah) is my 100th post (woot!). crazy.

when my brother was home for christmas he showed me all these sites - the chess ones (yup, more than one), the discussion forums, twitter, dailybooth, etc.

two days ago, i joined twitter.
i'm still not sure how i feel about that.


i think i'm secretly stalking my own brother.
and i may not even know it.
creepy.

The Impact of Interactions

It's been a crazy couple weeks, and the last couple days have packed quite a punch. I've been thinking about leadership and spiritually deep subjects from time to time, but not as much as I had been lately. I've been so busy that by the time I get home and *ahem* have time to think, I'm too tired. All I can think is: food, something-to-dull-my-brain-from-thinking-about-work (tv/movie), read, and sleep. Sometimes that doesn't work, and I don't sleep enough and thus, have a rough day the next day. Today was especially tough. So, I came home more exhausted than ever, and ate some junk and spent time watching a kids' movie to cheer me up (ironically, I watched Disney's UP). Then I got a tiny wind and decided to make a few notes about the things that have been on my mind: interactions and connections with others, and how they affect leadership.

This thought from my friend Mike (see my last post for more) is very true: "...don’t network just for the sake of 'building a huge number of connections.' Provide value, add to the conversation, help people without expecting anything in return." I don't necessarily agree with everything Mike said, but there was a lot of good in there. Too many people don't think about "connections" this way -- they just like the numbers. "I have X,000 friends on Facebook, myspace, Twitter, etc." It doesn't seem to matter how often they really connect with those people, or how sincere or impactful those connections are at any given point in time. The number is what matters most. Sometimes it's the only thing that does. And that can't be good - for anyone. And, it doesn't matter that you "get something" back. It's about doing, not getting. Don't just be there to be there. Do something. Make a difference - even if it's small. Our culture isn't inclined to think that way enough, if at all.

Then today, I had some negative interactions. Most of them originated from others. The ones that came from me were (mostly) in response to those that were directed at/to me. I am fairly confident that these folks did not intend to act negatively toward me; but they did. They caused a busy day to become more stressful, to overload my already slow mind, to cause me some emotional upheaval. Now, I will take ownership of my reactions. I know that I am a very emotional person, even for a girl; always have been. It is something I strive to keep in check every day.

However, when stressers and such interfere with whatever it is I am trying to accomplish/think about/do, I lose some of the control over my emotional reins because I have to divert that energy into roping in that other situation. Somehow, someday, I hope to overcome this problem better than I have thus far, and to be able to keep those emotions in check more easily, and let them out only when necessary. [I feel the need to note that I truly believe God has created me in a way that causes me to have emotions that are more affected by outside situations/people/stimuli than most other people. When I see someone hurting, I often hurt with them, and don't always understand why. When I feel like I haven't done my best, or have let someone down, I have an emotional response. It isn't very pleasant. (Yes, some of that is a self-esteem problem, we'll tackle that another day.) Often, this helps me sympathize with people in a way others may not be able to do. Other times, it causes issues with my emotional stability.] But when my emotions "act up" there isn't much I can do to hold them in check, hard as I try. This can mean I'm exceedingly giddy and happy, or very depressed and feeling useless and unwanted. How can leaders be missing what needs to be watched for, so that people who follow them (those who are like me, and those who are not) do not end up in these jumbled, crazy states of mind?

Leaders must always be aware of the impact their interactions have on those they lead. That means the interactions you have face-to-face, email-to-email, voicemail-to-voicemail, or even through another person. The impact of interactions (and the importance of awareness) is often lost when you lose the face-to-face. I believe it is even harder when it is through that third party person. There is still human interaction going on (and not through a technology medium) but it is just as severely disconnected for the leader (maybe even more so), and can often result in reactions by the follower and the "go-between" that can be extremely unpleasant for both. Thus, it is vitally important to be aware of the impact you are having through any interaction - personal or impersonal - with a follower. I realize this sounds like a big obligation, and it is. Leadership is an immense responsibility that should not be taken lightly. But it is also a great blessing if done properly - for both the leader and the follower(s).

The way you interact (or don't interact) with others is extremely important - whether you're a leader or not. It says a ton about who you are, how you work, how you think, what's important to you, who's important to you. It affects the way the people around you feel about many things - the situation, the environment you're in, you, even themselves. People who understand the importance of interactions and the tenor of them are often people in leadership (not always, mind you, but often). Think about it; how do you interact throughout each day?