Everyone who has read my blog knows that I post at least once a day. Because I feel that my last post "Why do you Blog?" is so important and has received so much attention, I will not be posting anything new for another day or two. I am looking for as much feedback as I can get on "Why do you Blog?". If you have not yet commented on "Why do you Blog?" please do so.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
Why do you Blog?
Warning! This post will ask some tough questions and you may be a little uncomfortable with your answers.
As with many of my posts my wife is my inspiration. This time she asked if my blog was taking away from "real life." After my initial reaction of being defensive (some old habits are hard to break), I began to think of it in a more useful way. When I come home from a business trip I have a tendency to go to my blog as quickly as I can. It's like I have missed an old friend that I can't wait to get reacquainted with. Like everything in life, blogging is a compromise. Am I putting too much importance into blogging and letting some more important things go unattended? (A question to myself.) So, I decided to open this up for discussion. It may help me in getting down to my root need (yes, I did say "need") to blog. It may also help you, not that you need help.
I would welcome an open discussion on this topic. I personally think that it totally depends on the individual. I have identified the following five reasons that people blog:
- Cathartic - the need to share experiences.
- Altruistic - a way to disseminate valuable information (valuable in the mind of the blogger. Whether it is actually valuable has no real bearing for this discussion) that needs to be put out their.
- Validation – I have changed my definition from “
Blogging is their life; without it they would not have a way to validate themselves”to “to feel valued as a person, or feel that his or her ideas, opinions or creativity are worthwhile.” My first stab at validation was, according to Baba Doodlius, “way over the top,” for which I have to agree. - Earnings – A way to make money. (Again, whether blogging actually can make money has no bearing on this conversation.)
- Strength – Blogging gives all types of people: strong, weak, extroverts, introverts, etc. a voice by which they can possibly effect change. This may be closely aligned with Altruism and Validation; however, I feel that it needs a category by itself.
For the sake of this post let's consider the five reasons noted above as the five prime reasons; kind of like prime colors. And for the sake of this conversation we'll say that we all live in blogging CAVES (Cathartic, Altruistic, Validation, Earnings & Strength) of our own design. I believe that we all have some aspect of each reason, just in different proportions.
Again, for the sake of this discussion let’s use the following scale:
0 = Absolute no
10 = Absolute yes
Let's all agree that there will be no judging here! There are no right or wrong answers.
I'll talk about me first. At this point I am not trying to make any money. That may change down the road. I'll give myself a 3 on “E”.
I have a life outside of blogging but I do use blogging to validate myself (especially when I get some of those wonderful comments.)
However, blogging is becoming a significant part of my life. I'll give myself a 6 on “V”.
I honestly feel that I am disseminating some very useful information that will have a positive effect on the world. I'll give myself a 9 on “A”.
I feel that being cathartic has very little to do with my blogging,
although, the act of sharing my ideas and experiences does feel good. I'll give myself a 3 on “C”.
As far as the category of strength goes, I feel that I can effect change with what I say and it definitely gives me a feeling of power. I put humor in this category; the power to make people laugh. Humor also falls into the “A” category as well. I will give myself an 8 on “S”
Let's see now, that puts me at:
C – 3
A – 9
V – 6
E – 3
S - 8
Let's also keep in mind that this could change tomorrow, or even in 5 minutes from now.
You know, it's funny how something that seems so complex can seem so clear once it is broken down into its component parts. We just have to be honest with ourselves.
Please, I invite comments on this. I do not believe that I have a fragile ego......anyway, if I do not like your comment I can reject it. Actually, to date, I have rejected only one comment and that was challenge that was too absurd to even respond to.
Why do you blog?
I wish I was computer literate enough to create a fancy widget that could be used to better illustrate this and maybe even be used by bloggers on their sites. If anyone has the knowledge to put such a widget together I would be more than happy to share the authorship.
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why do you blog validation altruism cathartic earnings strength
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Happiness Quotes
"It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable." ~ Roger L'Estrange
"I think happiness is what makes you pretty. Happy people are beautiful." ~ Drew Barrymore
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted." ~ John Lennon
"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain." ~ Unknown
"People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~ Abraham Lincoln
"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." ~ Unknown
"True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future." ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." ~ Herman Cain
"There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all." ~ Unknown
"Success is getting and achieving what you want. Happiness is wanting and being content with what you get." ~ Bernard Meltzer
"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." ~ Benjamin Franklin
"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." ~ Oscar Wilde
"Happiness depends upon ourselves." ~ Aristotle
"If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have paradise in a few years." ~ Bertrand Russell
"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet." ~ James Oppenheim
"Very little is needed to make a happy life." ~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness." ~ Countess of Blessington
"Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response." ~ Mildred Barthel
"Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy." ~ Wayne Dyer
"Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get." ~ Dave Gardner
"The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular reason for being so except that they are so." ~ William Ralph Inge
"We always have enough to be happy if we are enjoying what we do have--and not worrying about what we don't have." ~ Ken Keyes, Jr.
"The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness." ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
"Happiness doesn't come from doing what we like to do but from liking what we have to do." ~ Wilfred A. Peterson
"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." ~ Francesca Reigler
"Most people ask for happiness on condition. Happiness can only be felt if you don't set any condition." ~ Arthur Rubinstein
"The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy; I mean that if you are happy you will be good." ~ Bertrand Russell
"My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right?" ~ Charles M Schulz
"If you want to be happy, be." ~ Leo Tolstoy
"Human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected." ~ George Washington
"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier." ~ Margaret Young
"Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
"Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are." ~ Henry Van Dyke
"Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is." ~ Maxim Gorky
"I am more and more convinced that our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves." ~ Wilhelm von Humboldt
"I finally realized... I am so happy that I am jealous of myself!" ~ Unknown
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happiness John Lennon Abraham Lincoln Ralph Waldo Emerson Herman Cain Benjamin Franklin Oscar Wilde Aristotle Bertrand Russell Leo Tolstoy Charles M Schulz Nathaniel Hawthorne Henry Van Dyke
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Useful Links
The following links are to sites that are unique, different and, I believe, worthy of linking to.
Zoomoozik
Animusic
eXTReMe Tracking
The Blog Resource
Positive Thinking Web Directory
Automatic Tag Generator
Yellow Shoes
SeniorResource.com
Monday, October 1, 2007
Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #29f "The Things That Haven’t Been Done Before” – Female version)
(If this is your first time on this site, I recommend that you begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])
If you are a male reader, please go to #29m
The Things That Haven't Been Done Before
The things that haven't been done before,
Those are the things to try;
Columbus dreamed of an unknown shore
At the rim of the far-flung sky,
And his heart was bold and his faith was strong
As he ventured in dangers new,
And he paid no heed to the jeering throng
Or the fears of the doubting crew.
The many will follow the beaten track
With guideposts on the way.
They live and have lived for ages back
With a chart for every day.
Someone has told them it's safe to go
On the road she has traveled o'er,
And all that they ever strive to know
Are the things that were known before.
A few strike out, without map or chart,
Where never a person has been,
From the beaten paths they draw apart
To see what no person has seen.
There are deeds they hunger alone to do;
Though battered and bruised and sore,
They blaze the path for the many, who
Do nothing not done before.
The things that haven't been done before
Are the tasks worthwhile today;
Are you one of the flock that follows, or
Are you one that shall lead the way?
Are you one of the timid souls that quail
At the jeers of a doubting crew,
Or dare you, whether you win or fail,
Strike out for a goal that's new?
(Based on a poem by Edgar Guest)
I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.
- What would you like to do "that haven't been done before"?
- What's keeping you?
Technorati Tags:
done before Edgar Guest soul doubting crew bruised battered travel Haven't been done before
Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #29m "The Things That Haven’t Been Done Before” – Male version)
(If this is your first time on this site, I recommend that you begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])
The Things That Haven't Been Done Before
The things that haven't been done before,
Those are the things to try;
Columbus dreamed of an unknown shore
At the rim of the far-flung sky,
And his heart was bold and his faith was strong
As he ventured in dangers new,
And he paid no heed to the jeering throng
Or the fears of the doubting crew.
The many will follow the beaten track
With guideposts on the way.
They live and have lived for ages back
With a chart for every day.
Someone has told them it's safe to go
On the road he has traveled o'er,
And all that they ever strive to know
Are the things that were known before.
A few strike out, without map or chart,
Where never a man has been,
From the beaten paths they draw apart
To see what no man has seen.
There are deeds they hunger alone to do;
Though battered and bruised and sore,
They blaze the path for the many, who
Do nothing not done before.
The things that haven't been done before
Are the tasks worthwhile today;
Are you one of the flock that follows, or
Are you one that shall lead the way?
Are you one of the timid souls that quail
At the jeers of a doubting crew,
Or dare you, whether you win or fail,
Strike out for a goal that's new?
Edgar Guest
I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.
- What would you like to do "that haven't been done before"?
- What's keeping you?
Technorati Tags:
done before Edgar Guest soul doubting crew bruised battered travel Haven't been done before
What a Way to Begin the Week!
The “Blog That Hits the Mark” is from Walksfarwoman at Kissing The Dogwood.
Every time I read that site name "Kissing The Dogwood" it makes me smile. I credit this site with introducing me the BEST aspects of the blogesphere. In fact I wrote a post "Trail of Joy" on this very subject. I will always be grateful to you, because in a sense you did start my journey.
In staying with the "Trail of Joy" I am passing on this award to:
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Blogging Award
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Are you Martha or Maxine?
*Martha's Way*
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
*Maxine's Way*
Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake!
You are probably lying on the couch with your fee t up eating it, anyway!
*Martha's Way*
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
*Maxine's Way*
Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix , keep it in the pantry for up to a year.
*Martha's Way*
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
*Maxine's Way*
Go to the bakery! They'll even decorate it for you.
*Martha's Way*
If you accidentally oversalt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix-me-up."
*Maxine's Way*
If you oversalt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please recite with me the real woman's motto: "I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!"
*Martha's Way*
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
*Maxine's Way*
Celery? Never heard of it!
*Martha's Way*
Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
*Maxine's Way*
The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust so I don't.
*Martha's Way*
Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
*Maxine's Way*
Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink!
*Martha's Way*
If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves.
They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
*Maxine's Way*
Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.
*Martha's Way*
Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
*Maxine's Way*
Leftover wine???????????
HELLO !!!!!!!
Martha Maxine
Friday, September 28, 2007
Why Women Don't Like To Take Men On Vacation
Ladies...........This is for you!
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;
Love to forgive him;
And Patience for his moods;
Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,
I'll beat him to death.
Amen!
Gentlemen, let's accept our all too frequent childish behavior and try not to piss off the ladies in our lives too much!
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vacation
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #28 "Crossroads” – Male & Female versions)
(If this is your first time on this site, you may want to begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])
Crossroads
Two crossroads lay ahead and you must choose
Which one of these roads to take.
These roads, they weave and turn and whose
To say which one is best, for they bare few clues;
As you hope upon hope not to make a mistake.
You can only imagine where these roads lead;
As they both end far beyond your view.
Each road would fulfill a different need:
Of comfort and risk; both opposites, indeed.
The comfortable one seems old and the riskier one seems new.
Each road beckons you differently, it seems.
The comfortable one is closer with a familiar view;
The riskier, more distant, like the road in your dreams;
The road of passions and hopes and schemes.
The closer one looks traveled by many, the more distant by few.
Down the familiar you would follow, down the other you would lead.
With you're confidence high, you're prepared to win,
And believing that you will always succeed,
And trusting yourself, are all that you need.
So, you choose the road where few have been.
You shall gladly tell generations, of a future day,
With a grateful sigh and a knowing nod, this story;
Of when two roads beckoned you in a different way,
And you took the one of dreams and schemes, only to say
That you soared and swooped and found your glory.
(An Original Poem by Mel Kaye)
I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.
- What are your crossroads (be specific)?
- Which road would you like to travel, and why?
Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved
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crossroads comfortable opposites familiar riskier lead follow win dreams schemes glory
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Now, That's a Roller Coaster
New Ohio Roller Coaster At Cedar Point!!
Last picture says it all...
Yep, enough said!I wonder what the back looks like????
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roller coaster Cedar Point Ohio
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