My Latest Song: Out of this Mould
Thanks for coming back. =). Glad to see you. If there's anything I can do for you, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me an email, or leave a comment, introduce yourself. I'd love to connect with you. Or if you have your own blog, why not let me promote your work?
As some of you may already know, I play guitar and keyboard, and am very much a music person. Most of you probably don’t know, though, that I do some songwriting as well. And well, I just wrote a song over the past week, a message to myself which I feel fits in well with the theme of this blog, so I thought I’d share it here.
No recording yet, though, but that’ll come in time. In the meantime, here are the lyrics to one of my latest songs. Let me know what you think?
Out of this Mould
I stare blankly at this page before me
Every word I think of just seems so cliche
It’s a striking image of my own life
Where there’s nothing new, and everyday just seems to be the same
I’m tired of the same old story
The same old excuses and worries
And I know, that it’s time to make a change
I’ve got to break out of this mould
Step out of this comfort that I’ve been trained to live in
Got to break out of my routine
Follow my heart, and start pursuing my dreams
Can’t just keep doing what I’m told, no, no,
I’ve got to break out of this mould
I take two steps forward,
Then one step back
Struggling to find my way
On this brand new track
I search for a sign, or a path that I can follow
But there’s none,
And I’ve got to go on my own
I’m tired of being just another face in the crowd
It’s time for me to stand up up and finally be myself
So yeah, that’s it. A reminder to myself to be true to myself and not let anyone else dictate my life. If you have any comments/suggestions, I’d love to hear them. =).
[?]Tags: be yourself, dreams, out of this mould, songwriting
Pixelated – Sui Generis Conference
Oct 7, 2008 blogging, Personal Development
Mitch Joel recently started the Pixelated Conference, a free business conference you can watch from anywhere. Chris Brogan took the idea one step further, encouraging all of us to create our own Pixelated Conferences.
I think it’s a really good series. So here’s mine. The Pixelated – Sui Generis Conference. 7 sessions (in no particular order, because I think you should watch all of them) about being remarkable, following your passions, and changing the world.
If you the videos don’t appear (if you’re reading via RSS, for example), you can check it out here.
And if you like it, feel free to grab the list and share it. Or better yet, make your own and join be part of the series.
[?]Tags: be yourself, change the world, conference, passion, pixelated, remarkable, video
Forging Your Own Path
Feb 16, 2008 Analogies, Personal
Forging your own path isn’t always easy. It’s what I want to do, that’s for sure. I want to be my own person, and blaze my own trail and all. But it’s not always easy.
When you forge your own path, more often than not, it means that you’re on your own. It’s your own path. And you’ll probably have to walk it on your own.
The other thing about forging your own path, is that it’s a path that few (if any) have gone. Sometimes you won’t know for sure where you’re heading. It’s a new path, and sometimes you lose your way, or have to make it up as you go along.
It’s not easy. It can be a struggle at times (which is kind of what I’m feeling lately). But I’m pretty sure it’ll be worth it in the end.
How do you deal with the challenges of forging your own path? Or if you don’t face any challenges, maybe you could share some advice?
[?]Tags: be yourself, own person, path, trail blazer
Your Opponents Weaknesses or Your Strengths
Dec 20, 2007 Uncategorized
No matter what you’re doing, you’ll always have competition. In games, in business, even in relationships. There’s always competition of sorts. How do you deal with this competition? There are 2 general ways people go about dealing with competition.
You could focus on your opponents weaknesses. Target where they are weak and adjust what you’re doing to hit them there. Or you could focus on your own strengths. Don’t think so much about what they do, but just do what you’re the best at. Of course, it’s best when your strengths align with your opponents weaknesses, but that’s not always the case.
A good example of that was the Sunday EPL matches. Liverpool vs Manchester United and Arsenal vs Chelsea. Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Chelsea, typify the first approach. They change their system and the players they use based on their opponents. They try to identify weaknesses in the opponents play and plan according to those weaknesses.
Manchester United and Arsenal, on the other hand, play their own game. Yes, they study their opponents (who wouldn’t). But at the end of the day, they focus on what they do best. They stick to their game.
The results over the weekend? 1-0 wins for both Manchester United and Arsenal. Not much of a surprise there, to me. The best way to win is still to just do what you do best. Play to your strengths.
At least that’s what I believe. What do you think? How do you beat your competition?
[?]Tags: be yourself, best, competition, Sports, stand out
Friday Flip-Through: The Butterfly Hunter
Dec 14, 2007 Uncategorized
A common theme (at least an intended common theme) in this blog has always been about pursuing your dreams, and your own passions. To not just settle for what others do, or what society expects, but to chase after what you believe in, and to find your own meaning in life.
And that’s why I love The Butterfly Hunter
10 people. Among them a lady lumberjack, a train geek, a building climber, a NFL kicking coach. 10 very different professions. But one thing in common. They are doing what they do best. They are living their dreams. And most importantly – to me, at least – they are fulfilling their passions.
These 10 people show us the value of doing what you love. It’s the passion for what they do that drive them and keep them going. And that passion is something we would all do well to have.
This book won’t give you a formulaic guide on how to achieve your dream job. What it will do is inspire you in the value of pursuing it. There are people out there living their passions, doing what they love. You can be one of them too.
Yes, it’s a risk. But as these 10 people show, it’s worth the risk. After all, as Chris says, that “is the one thing that can give… life meaning.”
If you like this book, check out my other recommendations at my aStore.
Tags: be yourself, dreams, friday flip-through, purpose
Time Management
Nov 30, 2007 Uncategorized
I recently listened to show #108 (yes I know it’s an old show) of The Engaging Brand Podcast: Thinking Outside the Clock.
In the show, Ann Rusnak talks about time management. A lot of time management articles have similar tips, such as only checking your email at scheduled times, turning off your phone at certain times, etc. Basically to remove yourself from distractions. And those were mentioned in this podcast as well. But what really struck me was how she said time management was about priorities, knowing what your priority is and living according to that (that’s a paraphrase, of course).
Thinking about it, that’s partly why I never managed to follow the standard “time management tips” that most places provide. They talk about cutting yourself from distractions. While this in itself, is a good point, very often, the distractions they mention come in the form of other people intruding when you’re doing something (email, IM, phone, etc). But personally, my phone is on (and with me) almost 24/7. I’m keep my email open as much as possible. I’m on IM as much as I can. I stay on Twitter whenever I’m online. And I let people know this. Why do I do this? Because my priority in life is relationships and the connections formed.
And that’s why I make myself available as much as possible. All the time, if possible. Especially to my friends, the people who matter to me. I want my life to be about the people I touch, the conversations I’ve been part of, the connections and friendships I’ve built. So I spend a lot of time making myself available for conversation and community-building. Things like phone calls and Twitter and IM aren’t distractions to me, they are what life is all about. Things like going traveling half an hour to buy lunch for a friend because she forgot her wallet, to me it isn’t that much a distraction or annoyance. It’s something I don’t mind doing, because it’s important.
What does this have to do with you? Well, I just wanted to show how there are no standard tips and suggestions for time management. It really all depends on your priorities. I admit that my priorities, and the extent to which I pursue them, might not be the same for everyone, but the most important point is to customize your schedule to your priorities. So don’t just blindly take the words of the experts (you shouldn’t ever do that, in any case), but think about how they apply to your life. If you’re struggling to manage your time, don’t just google “time management tips” and apply them (a tip from the first google result already suggests “For one week, for example, set a goal that you’re not going to take personal phone calls while you’re working.”). Think about what matters the most to you.
That’s the most effective form of time management. Priorities. And that’s very much a personalized thing.
Where do your priorities lie – and how much time are you putting into them?
[?]Tags: be yourself, life, perspective, relationships, unique
Your Caricature
Nov 27, 2007 Uncategorized
The Guardian reports a study which shows that police would be better off using caricatures of suspects rather than standard, more accurate sketches.
Caricatures emphasize the unique traits of the person, and thus make the drawing more memorable, in my opinion. And we should apply that to ourselves as well. As you develop your personal brand, keep in mind that you’re better off emphasizing what makes you unique.
37signals puts it quite well in their post. “A photorealistic sketch is an exercise in accuracy, but an exaggerated caricature is an exercise in identity.” And your identity is what you will be remembered for, it’s who you’ll be remembered as. People aren’t going to remember every little part of you. They’ll remember the significant, exceptional parts of who you are. And given that, I would think that it’s in your best interest to emphasize that.
What would your personal brand’s caricature be like? And how can you focus and build on that?
Link via Seth’s Blog: The caricature of your brand ; picture via Cindy’s Caricature on Flickr
Tags: be yourself, exceptional, personal branding, unique
