What Will You Do THIS Year ?

I recently read a blog post from my favorite Leadership blogger (linked HERE) wherein he wrote briefly about how we approach each new year.  Of course I love that he suggests using questions to improve ourselves (you know how I love questions!), but it also reminded me that it only takes the proper mental attitude to begin anew.
I've gone back and forth many times on my commitment to blogging (among many other arguably more worthwhile activities).  But reviewing this post (and reflecting on the questions Dan suggests) reminds me that our efforts do not always have to produce excellent or even noticeable results.
The key is to keep trying - keep pushing ourselves to improve - keep the strategies that work and replace those that don't.

In the end we'll have plenty to feel good about and we'll likely remember very few of the stumbles or low points.

Cheers to your new year's goals, whatever they may be!

Song Of The Day:
As you make your plans and goals for 2015, I would like to help you project ahead to the end of the year and visualize yourself singing along to the words in OneRepublic's song "I Lived"  The tune is certainly catchy, the message is meaningful (if not overstated), but it seems a fitting anthem for setting goals to challenge yourself in the coming year.  Filled with repeated statements of hope as a theme, I LOVE this song!

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Who Do People Expect You To Be ?

Sundays are great days to reflect and ponder on life.  In my house there are not usually "quiet" moments, but Sundays offer the best chances for a few minutes.

Today I have been thinking alot about my relationships with others.  Specifically, I have been reflecting on interactions from the preceding weeks where people around me seemed to expect certain reactions or behaviors from me in specific situations.  In some cases, I met their expectations by acting or being a certain way.  But in others, my actions or opinions seemed to surprise people greatly.  And I began to wonder if I am consistent in who I am and what I believe and how that rationale is implemented across all aspects of my life.

Some questions I asked myself included:

 - What do people count on me for?

 - What do people expect my action or reaction to be in certain circumstances?
 - Are my actions demonstrating my faith and beliefs?
 - Does how I spend my time support what I tell others is important to me?  Or is it contradictory, thus causing them to question my honesty and self-awareness?
And lastly ...
 - How would I live differently if I knew people were watching me and expecting me to handle situations in a certain way?
 - Would it give me strength in difficult situations?
 - Would it provide me with an ability to make wiser choices?

As with many of my posts, I do not have answers.  I only hope to share questions that may be of use to those who read these 'ramblings.'  I think we all can influence and be influenced for good.  Let us take time to reflect on the past and renew our commitments for the future.


Song Of The Day:
Of course I love a cappella music and the song "Take Me As I Am" by Completely Different Note is a great one for this post.  Although the message of the tune is more about learning to love again, the title ties in with the subject of this post.  Apologies for the mediocre recording of this song.

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What Is Your Blog About ?

A friend of mine from work, recently began blogging.  He told me that he has enjoyed reading my posts over the years and decided that he should write one himself.  I complimented him on his decision to do so and then asked him the title of this blog post.

You see, Mark (that's my friend's name) had asked me for help on his blog.  He felt that it looked plain and wanted to know how to do different things on it, visually and functionally.  And my answer was to start with the most important question:

What are you going to be blogging about?

Why is that the most important question?  Because what your blog is about and who your audience is, determines the majority of how you set up your blog.  You will want to match your background images, sidebars, font, color, links, etc. to whatever theme you want to convey.

My blog theme is questions and that is what I am passionate about writing about.  So ...
 - I selected an open road as my background picture, because it begs the question 'where does that road lead?'
 - I phrased all of my sidebars in the form of questions.

I use certain fonts and different colors and include links and/or pictures that catch the attention of the reader because my blog is not just for me.  I try to make my posts enjoyable or interesting for almost anyone to read.  I do share personal stories and these will be a nice journal to reflect back on years down the road, but that is not my primary intent of blogging.  It is a creative outlet that I hope spurs creativity in anyone who reads it.

I am anything but an expert at this.  I know less than almost any other blogger probably does, but I am happy to share what I know.  And making sure your blog is what you want it to be is the most important thing if you want to keep at it.

Song Of The Day:
I love a good singer/songwriter and Norah Jones certainly has accomplished plenty in this category.  The title of her popular song "Don't Know Why" can certainly apply to this post.  If you don't know why you are writing your blog, then you will likely not continue doing it.  If you don't know who your audience is, then it is almost impossible to tweak it in a way you will be most proud of it.

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