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You know since this is my own personal blog I feel like I can just be open and honest with you. Recently I tried something new that I had not done before, no not eat carmel grasshoppers, I paid for a review of this blog from John Chow and I was really surprised by what I got.

The criticisms don’t bother me. I gave up a long time ago worrying about what people say or feel about me. All I can be is me and not try to live my life to fit in or conform. Guess what, people don’t think I fit the mold of what a professional credit or debt guy should be. Okay, I can live with that. What is normal?

I’m really not sure if anyone has figured out what life is supposed to be like. I haven’t. What I do know is that if you try to live a “good” life and do “good” things that you can find happiness and improve the lives of others. And at the end of my days I will know that I have done that in some orthodox and not so orthodox ways.

When I die I will know that I will have found success and failure in life. I will know that I tried new things and reached beyond my comfort zone to explore new possibilities. A bad review of my blog I can live with and even that I paid $450 for the bad review. LOL. What I don’t want to live with is that I had to conform to what other people think I should be or do. Why do we always have to color inside the lines? Why can’t our lives be about enjoying a wider spectrum of life?

I still find it curious that I get battered about by people that think that this blog should have or not have a picture of some hot babe in it. Has anyone looked at the covers of the magazines at the supermarket lately? And one recent comment said that the pictures of the women were not good looking enough. LOL. Just goes to show, you really can’t win at all.

None of us are going to please all the people all the time and trying to live our lives not being true to ourselves would be a gross mistake and injustice. I’m just being me and I would hope that you can find a grace and comfort in just being you as well. Conformity does not create inner peace or happiness. It achieves what it attempts, conformity.

In my response the original review, I left out item 10, which I wanted to post here. So here it is.

10. Contrived? I’ve been accused of many things in my life but contrived isn’t one of them, until now. But I find it interesting that in the review it is a category that I get placed in. And I wonder why? I write about what my life is actually like. I’m just be the guy you see. It is hard for me to see my authentic self from what someone else sees as a contrived. And the reasons why that has happened intrigue me. How is it that I could be so conversational, open and honest and appear to be contrived?

“I think the guy needs to spend a little more time trying to think like the reader. I’m turned off as soon as the site loads and I read ‘Who the hell is Steve’. There is no way I’m taking personal finance advice from a guy who labels his ‘About’ page that way.”

What could be more contrived that having to conform to only using the About label to talk about myself. LOL

I was curious that I was also criticized for not thinking more like the reader. I write this to share myself and what I find important in the world, not what I think you think I should think is important. See how confusing that can be?

So that’s it, the good, the bad review and the contrived. My blog got a bad review but the lesson that I hope to share is it is okay not to conform as long as you can find your happiness and enjoy the life you’ve got.

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Steve

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