Oscar Wilde
What a great quote! We are all individuals. Each a sum of our own experiences, knowledge and personality. No two people are exactly the same. (Thank goodness, or the world would be a very boring place.)
difficult to stand out online
But with only words and syntax (and perhaps the odd photo or video) it can be really difficult to allow the “real” you to stand out in the online world. Always wondering if what you have written could be taken the “wrong way” or misinterpreted – it is a veritable minefield. When we started this blog I made a conscious decision to just write from the heart, as if I was talking and not to worry too much about being grammatically correct (although sometimes I do succumb and make some adjustments!), or whether my comments could be misinterpreted.
For me this is working. I am finding I am writing freely and I am enjoying it, which after all is the main reason we started the blog – for enjoyment. The blog is giving me space to actually articulate my thoughts and ideas on a topic that I feel passionate about: really enjoying and living the one life we have. We should not be looking back in years to come regretting a missed opportunity. I firmly believe that in 50 years time, you will regret more the things you could have done but didn’t, than the things you did but shouldn’t have.
passion for life – no regrets
Where this passion for making the most of life came from I am not sure. I think it has always been there lurking in the background but it has taken some years for it to be really at the forefront of my mind. But now it is a major factor in the majority of decisions I make and the attitude I have toward problems/issues/niggles and of course the good things in life too.
getting to know “me”
I would say that over the past decade, but more so this last 9 months, I have been slowly getting to know myself; really working out what I like/don’t like; what I am ambivalent about and what bores me to tears. I have done personality tests to get the “scientific” perspective on me, as well as just observed for myself the reactions I have to various situations. It is through this “getting to know me” process that I have uncovered this passion for creating and living your best life and making it work for you.
So what else have I learnt? Family is very important to me. I am an introvert, so need to spend time on my own to recharge my batteries…too many people for too long freaks me out and I need to return to the comfort of my home for some quiet time. I am ambitious; I am stubborn; I work hard; I strive to do the very best I can do; I am focused; I love learning, helping, researching, organizing, improving. I can be a perfectionist and I can procrastinate when I don’t want to do something. I could go on…but I think you already know me a little better now…
Other than for you to get to know me, there is another reason why I shared these insights about me. I believe that to be able to let your personality shine in the online world you need to know who you are and what makes you tick in the real world. And I definitely don’t believe in portraying a different persona online to the one you would meet in real life. What you see is what you get!
businesses have personalities too
Businesses also have personalities and core qualities that define who or what they are – they have a brand. Morag and I want Leisure Guru to be unique, fun, fresh, practical, provocative, quirky and with a hint of luxury on the side. These are the “personality traits” we hope Leisure Guru will develop over the coming months and years.
Written by Catherine Evans Joines
This post was written in response to the Suitcase Entrepreneur’s 30 Day Blog Challenge – Day 12
Leisure Guru 