CAN BLOGGING BE A DAMAGING PASTTIME?
I was recently at an amazing event where I witnessed hundreds of attendees (mostly women) with their thrilling breakthroughs . . .both in and out of the room.
Nevertheless, this event has been getting a TON of backlash for some very different personal reasons. Reasons I don’t think are fair to publicly declare with names. But that’s just ME.
Here’s what I think is cool and totally support . . .
1) Getting your own personal growth out of an experience and sharing it with others;
2) Being respectful of other people while speaking *your truth*;
3) Sharing perceived flaws about your experience and things you think should change . . .
My perception is we never really outgrow our childish ways but build our *adultness* on top of them. In other words, we tend to justify why we feel certain ways. Hey . . . it’s biology and survival . . . I get it . . . but when it’s unnecessarily hurtful to others I feel the need to respond.
Most of us aim to be more evolved yet we often get caught up in our emotional selves (me included, by the way). I see the immediacy of the Internet and blogs and tweeting to sometimes be detrimental. What do YOU think?
November 18th, 2009 at 9:39 am
I’ve been wondering why some had even bothered to attend the event in the first place. Both from comments heard while there, and also from things I’ve seen on the net since the conclusion of the event.
While seeing that there is that air of negativity out there however, I refuse to let it steal from the joy, the breakthroughs, & the “a-ha’s” I had while there and since returning home.
Oh, and the final thing I keep in mind is this, for some people, the only way for them to be happy is by making others unhappy. But it’s up to each of US as individuals to not let ANYONE steal our joy!
(I even dm’d that to the person who hosted the event, because they shouldn’t be feeling sad after helping so many people.)
Okay, enough rambling on my part. That’s my take. I saw you in passing for about 2 seconds at the event but you looked like you were leaving so I didn’t get to introduce myself. I’m not worried, it’ll happen next time we’re at the same event I’m sure.
Until then, chin up, the nay-sayers do NOT win out the day! 
November 18th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Thanks so much for putting that out there. I don’t want to stifle people’s experiences. I just don’t think slamming others publicly is the best way to do it.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:23 am
I hadn’t heard any negative comments about Shine but actually they’re a compliment. You don’t generate controversy till you are famous.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Heya Icey,
I wasn’t there, but did see quite a few tweets about a “celebrity” speaker saying social media is a waste of time, or something. Not the brightest move since some of those attendee’s found out about the event through social media
November 18th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Scott…LOL
Yes, I understand the social media is a friggin’ waste of time. Why else would we be talking?
Icey
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Blogs and Twitter today are full of immature individuals expressing their lonely feelings. Probably my age in thinking this way.
What I see is a big opportunity to fill a void and give people their dreams with a phenomenal product. I’m a born entrepreneur with a vivid free flowing mind. Give people the means to sustain the living style they yearn for. Then you will find how there connecting with their network on their blogs is totally different.
December 14th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I heard so many positive things about the event through Twitter that I started looking into certain people and actually became quite inspired by what I read and videos I saw. Too bad people had bad things to say about a great event. Equally as “too bad” that social media was dissed considering that’s how I even found those speakers and their products.
December 14th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Hey Lo,
Finally got around to going thru my reader and saw your post!
I wasn’t at Shine, but I may understand a bit of what you’re feeling. Keep this in mind - sometimes people are just “simple”… if that makes sense.
What I mean is, that they are truly incapable of thinking another way as to be enlightened about life’s possibilities. Not that there’s anything wrong with being “simple”… Forest Gump was simple.
PS. My BFF shared that when her grandma was talking about someone, she used to say, “Bless his/her heart” when she really wanted to say, “you pitiful ignorant soul!”
So now I wonder… after all these years of hearing that term, was that really an ‘ole wives way of calling someone an effed-up idiot… graciously? LOL!
Smooches, dp
December 15th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Thanks for writing about this Lorrie!
I have noticed an alarming trend where people are using their blogs as a sounding board for complaining, slamming others, and making fun of ideas (all under the guise of “having the courage to be authentic”).
I actually wrote a blog about it, saying that the authentic self doesn’t need to be snarky. BUT I didn’t publish it because I didn’t want to add more fuel to the negative energy out there.
I appreciate you for mentioning it, without naming names or being immature about it
Thanks for letting your authentic self shine,
ke
January 7th, 2010 at 5:52 am
Hey Lorrie,
I have to say, I can see how blogging is just another way of saying I’m right and you’re wrong or publishing posts that slam other people (isn’t that how blogs got popular in the beginning?) But I have to say, some of my biggest motivations and ideas have come from blogs. I think it’s a situation where you have a dualistic nature (as with most things) you have people being hurtful, but you will also have people trying to help others and offering great information.
Thanks for the post, and thank you for the transparency.
Ryan