Finding Your True Voice

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Have you found your voice?

As a writer, an artist, a programmer, a leader or whatever you consider yourself to be – are you certain that what you create is coming 100% from your heart?

That you have a special style, personality, tone that is specifically you — and that you’re proud of it?

Our voice is what makes us unique. It’s how we show the world who we are.

Without a strong voice, we come off as wishy-washy. Confused. Unsure of ourselves.

But it’s not easy to find your true voice. For one, it takes a lot of courage. Courage to show the world who you really are and what you stand for.

Finding my own voice took years. As a writer, I spent a lot of time writing academic papers in school — and I was damn good at them. But although I rarely got anything less than an A, they didn’t show my authentic writing voice.

I wrote them with the end result in mind, relying on fancy words, powerful quotes and perfect grammar to get me the top grade. I didn’t dig deep enough and never wrote from the heart.

And so upon leaving the world of academia, I was faced with a brutal task: to find my own voice.

It hasn’t been easy, and I’ve made mistakes along the way. But I hope what I’ve learned on my journey helps you discover your own voice. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Changing the world, Personal growth, Writing

Revealed: Why You Should Embrace Your Fears (Instead of Running From Them)

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Remember the days when you felt alive and passionate about life?

When you had a million things you wanted to do, a million hobbies you wanted to take up, a million different career paths you wanted to follow?

I’m sure you remember.

And if you’re like most people, the memories flooding back into your head right now are mainly from your childhood.

So what happened?

Did you follow the rules of society and do everything “right,” only to find that years later you’re not doing anything even remotely close to what you actually want to do?

You’re not alone.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal growth, Self doubt

11 Things That Make Me Weird: #NicheAmnesty

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Last week on DIYBlogger Stacey Herbert challenged bloggers to shut up about their usual niche topics and talk about themselves for a day.

I liked the idea, especially since I’m fairly new to the blogosphere and it wouldn’t surprise me if many readers and bloggers know very little about me.

Plus, it seemed interesting to get to know the people behind all the blogs I enjoy and to share my own point of view.

So here goes, a few things about what makes me weird:

1. I move a lot

I’ve moved at least once a year since I was 17, and most recently have lived in Amsterdam, New York City, and now, San Francisco.

I move because I like to see the world, but also because I’m scared of settling down.

I also went to five different colleges. In order, they were:

  • Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA (focus: photojournalism)
  • Emerson College in Boston, MA (focus: print journalism)
  • University of Sussex in Brighton, UK (focus: travel as much as possible)
  • Occidental in Los Angeles, CA (focus: who knows)
  • Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR (focus: international relations & communication)

2. I’m awkward

I consider myself an extremely socially and physically awkward person.

This is the reason why I’m not great at parties and don’t exactly know the rules of small talk.

It’s also why you’ll often see me covered in bruises, because I have a habit of running into things. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal growth

7 Steps to Living a More Meaningful Life

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© Sergey Kravtsov | Dreamstime.com

It’s a recurring theme of mine that I believe we were conditioned as school kids and into adulthood to half ass our way through life.

We’re taught to not put our heart into life’s constant challenges. And when we don’t put our heart into anything, we automatically care less.

Not caring about anything gives our lives less meaning.

Since for most of us the goal of life is to create more meaning, this is an obvious problem.

But don’t fret, my fellow human wanderers. Here are seven steps to take to start embracing a more meaningful and fulfilling life today…

1. Be Present

Make a conscious effort  to be fully aware of whatever you’re doing, whether you’re making dinner, writing your manifesto, or taking out the trash.

Eckhart Tolle stresses the power of being fully present in his popular book, The Power of Now, where he suggests that being in “the Now” can guide us toward a more connected and joyful existence.

If your problem is focus, don’t be discouraged: focus is something that can be learned; if your mind tends to wander, tug it back to the present thing you’re doing. You’ll get better, I promise. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balance, Personal growth

Get Unstuck Without Coming Unglued in 3 Easy Steps

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© Grafoo | Dreamstime.com

Most people – especially creative people – have a fear of being stuck.

Stuck in a job with no future opportunities…

Stuck in a boring exercise and diet routine…

Stuck in a relationship…an adventure-less rut…or doing the same thing day after day.

My “stuck” feeling comes after I’ve lived anywhere too long (case in point: I’m moving to San Francisco later this week after living in New York City for just a year).

Not everyone is as restless as I am, though.

In fact, there’s a sizable chunk of the population who wants no change at all. They love the feeling of sameness.

To them, it’s safe. They don’t need a new job or a new hobby or new surroundings to keep them going.

In fact, to this type of person, any threat to their normal way of life is scary and is to be avoided.

But I’m not talking about these avoid-all-change types here. I’m talking about people who crave variation and progress. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Habits, Personal growth, Self doubt
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