Unmasked

“What inspires you?” is a common question people ask those they look up to. “Why?” is a question that will always plague humanity. Trying to make sense of everything. One of the reasons I blog is to answer some of my whys.

I’ve discovered writing is one of the best ways I think and get clarity. It could be that it forces me to focus. To be present.

Besides this blog, my primary publishing space, I started Leadership Heretic, which I have plans to grow with different ideas. (Watch the space ;-) ) I explore my faith here.

I’ve also started publishing on Medium. It’s a writing (and reading) platform I’m enjoying. There’s some great quality writing there at the moment. 

Oh, there’s a book also in the works and another idea for a second book… I have a few things going on. Perhaps not so good… It seems I’m multitasking. To an extent yes and to another, no.

One of the reasons I’m writing or publishing in a couple of places is that I don’t want to clutter communication. Unlike Ingrid, I don’t use oils and canvas to paint. I use words. The different platforms or blogs are different canvases for me.

I’m a victim of many ideas and thoughts. The challenge is always to figure out which to pursue and to what extent. I’m sure many can identify. Some ideas just won’t go away and others are just fleeting ones.

I blog not because I’m an expert. I doubt I’ll ever consider myself an expert in anything. A student is what I consider myself to be in many areas. (I always have an initial distrust, cynicism perhaps, of people who dub themselves experts. It’s not you, it’s just me…) this blog is primarily about me being a life and leadership student.

It is about lessons I’ve learned. Ones that are contrary to what is either taught and or generally accepted when it comes to life and leadership captivate me, particularly.

I haven’t done a great job explaining why I blog on my ‘About’ page. It’s needed serious attention since my first post in 2010. (That’s something I should get too… It should be easier, now that, a blogger I have great respect for, John Saddington, has created the holy grail of ‘About’ pages… An example I’ll be stealing from)

I blog for myself. I’m the primary audience of my blog. My posts here, on Leadership Heretic, I Am Jonah and other platforms I’ve mentioned, are notes to myself. It is how I reflect on what I’ve learned, what I’m learning and grappling with in life, leadership and other areas.

An expert, I am not. I write to remember lessons I’ve learned. I write to challenge what I’ve been taught, what I’ve observed and what I see practiced either by me or people and organizations I come across.

My blogs are chatter in my head. Thinking out loud doesn’t scare me anymore. I could be wrong but that doesn’t stop me. Being right or wrong is not the object. The object is to start conversation. Conversation that enriches somehow. If it only helps me, so be it.

Somehow me being better, having greater clarity will help someone else at some point.

I write for people who don’t mind hearing me think out loud because they could just find some nuggets in the clutter of my musings.

If you’re reading this, thank you for stopping by and wading through the complexities of my clutter and writing that I’m still trying to perfect.

There are some areas I still need to grow in, when it comes to writing but that doesn’t stop me either. Sure, I do wonder with each post if it is worth publishing but I do it anyway. I remind myself that if it can help, in some way, it might just help someone else…

If you’re one of the many that has sent me emails, left a comment, tweeted or stopped me somewhere and shared value you found in some of what I’ve written thank you.

It is liberating that the posts that are primarily my failure, that end up lessons I share the blogs add value. That my vulnerability is not in vain.

Perhaps you should try this. Blogging I mean. If not for anyone else, it will be good for you.

I will be sharing, in my sometimes-unstructured way, some of my motivations. The whys behind me blogging as well as the whys behind other projects I’m ideating and starting to action.

Do you blog or publish? How about we start unmasking some of the whys and not just our posts? Please share a link to your blog and a line about your motivation…