I know you might be thinking great title, Keith (if you don’t just bear with me). Well it was inspired by my new friend, judyb54. She is my new friend because she has done something extraordinary for me. She helped crystallize why I write this blog, and more importantly, why I was put on this earth…to help others.
My last blog post, Death is the Ultimate Report Card, came from a very real place. It was the most authentic blog I’ve posted to date. It was a true self-reflection and was designed to hopefully allow you to reflect on your own experiences as well. I wanted to give you (and myself) hope that as long as you are breathing, your life can be altered to give you the life experience you deserve. That post was where my new friend came in and worked her magic.
Now, I must confess that I do not lack self-confidence. I speak with authority even when I’m wrong. I glance in mirrors a million times more than I should. I have always lived by the saying “I’m good enough, smart enough and damn it people like me.”
But writing these posts is SCARY. They live in posterity. Some of my posts barely lifted the needle in terms of impact (I admit that I look at the blog stats to see where my posts stack up – don’t judge me!) What I’ve spent an hour or more crafting, people have dismissed completely or only briefly glanced at. I thought that I could measure my impact by the total views, total “likes” and “tweets” (which is really twisted since I’m like the only human not on either Facebook or Twitter). Well I can’t.
The external impact of this blog is going to be tough for me or any of the other Mastermind members to measure, but what should be easy to measure is the authenticity and purpose for which we present this blog. That is where judyb54 came in. Her comment to my post was so elegant, so simple and yet so impactful. She simply wrote “Beautiful. Sharing.”
My mom has told me I’m the best thing since sliced bread from the time I was zero years old. I have friends and work colleagues who have told me on a regular basis that I’m smart and great. But in my most vulnerable place, judyb54, told me what I have created was “beautiful” and that she would pay me the ultimate compliment by “sharing” it. I felt a tremendous pull towards sharing more of myself on the blog and my purpose to help other more than I have in a long, long time thanks to these simple words.
I’m probably going to keep checking blog stats (although I hope not as much), but even if I only get one view for the rest of the time the blog exists, it will be worth it. The Mastermind Project is about giving. We are giving what we know, telling you what we don’t know and asking you, if you feel so compelled, to participate in that dialogue. Judyb54, thank you, you will be in the book (another blog will be coming on that soon)! Please continue to share, comment, like and tweet. We sincerely appreciate it.
The Mastermind Project 