July is here. The year 2011 is half over. To an optimist, this marks a unique threshold of opportunity: six more months to do more, see more, learn more, be more.
What have you done with your first six months? Are you happy? Are you satisfied? Do you feel a sense of accomplishment? These were some of the questions running through my mind in the last couple of days. More importantly, I asked myself: what will you do with the next six months?
I was inspired to start a blog after recently finishing Gary Vaynerchuk’s book ‘Crush It!’. One of the central learning points his book left with me is the concept of developing a personal brand.
This really scared me. I’ve believed in good, old fashioned hard work to get me where I am today. I have mostly ‘kept my head down’ and avoided ‘sucking up’ and ‘brown-nosing’. And while I consider myself to be a reasonably open person, there’s a dichotomy in my personality that makes me intensely reserved. I don’t talk much. I’m not quiet or shy, but I believe in keeping ideas not yet fully formed to myself.
The thought of sharing my day-to-day experiences, moments of inspiration, fledgling opinions and embryonic passions with world left me feeling terrified. And yet here I am. I figure if you’re not doing something that scares you, then you’re probably not really growing.
Here’s to personal growth and happiness. Welcome to my world.