Much obliged for the pingback, but what I’m truly grateful for is that my writing was any kind of assistance in your journey. That is always my goal, so it’s great to find out when that successfully happens.

As you said, there are lots of changes going on in the blogosphere. When the dust finally settles, it will probably be just in time for the next shift to begin!

Always fun to enjoy the the journey and to be a part of the process!

I love the synchronicity that happens in my life. I really seem to be more aware of it here lately.

I read this article months ago when you first wrote it. At the time I was going through some doubt about my writing and the validitiy of my voice in this world of personal development. So I took some time for a little introspection. I read more blogs, took more action, and realized I’m getting more hits, my readership is going up and my voice is being heard, well, at least read.

Like Marc Barry, I’m writing from my perspective of here is what I AM DOING that is getting me from here to there. A “Watch, Learn and Do” philosophy.

My post today shows that we get side-tracked from time to time, but it is important to actually get up and “keep on trucking” (I guess I date myself with that phrase) and get back on track.

BTW, I plugged your article from June 21, 2007.

For me, at this time, it’s fun to watch the changes as they are happening and share those experiences with the blogosphere. Sometimes I don’t know what they mean or how they will impact me, but I’m grateful that they are happening. I like writing about my adventures and my goal is to be a living example of deliberate creation.

Blessed Be.

I can definitely see a point in my life whenever the bulk of the personal growth and development lessons will be as second nature to me as breathing is.

Many of them already are, and other lessons I am happy to get reminders about by reading other blogs, as well as empowering/inspiring books.

Until I’ve got it all down pat, I’ll keep writing about it, and even after that we’ll keep the reminders flying around the ‘net because someone will always be able to benefit from them!

I’ve noticed that so often my writing about certain concepts is exactly what I need to internalise the same lesson in my own life – it’s like one part of me talking to another part.

I like that idea too, of these concepts becoming so internalised for us all that we don’t have to even write about them any more.

I appreciate you chiming in with your thoughts and experiences! What a great idea to get a domain for your father! Maybe that is part of the solution here – dragging people kicking and screaming into the Information Age!

And the fact that blogging is associated with MySpace is definitely something that we need to change!

For just the “friends and family,” something like that is fine, but I hardly ever go on MySpace anymore because it is so…ahem…busy, and I think there are a lot of people who feel the same way.

We need to get those bloggers out here with the rest of the ‘net!

“Taking it Outside” I try to do that as often as I can, I just bought a domain name for my father, and I told him “Dad, you say you have everything you need, that’s true, except you don’t have a blog, well that’ll change, you’ll have one soon” lol well ok that was easy, but on the other side of the coin, I talk about blogging all the time, and I’m amazed how much people have no idea what it is, and they immediately think “myspace”.. oh well my “job” as a blogger is to tell them I guess

Thanks for provoking our thoughts Aaron!

I agree about the value of writing vs. reading. One of the reasons why I write about personal growth and development is because it helps me to externalize these concepts “on paper” so I can then permanently internalize them.

That probably doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s okay. It’s very early on a Saturday morning. I only promised motivation, not coherency… ~

Thanks, as always, for your thoughts, Rick!

I say us because I think I get at least out as much out of writing as readers do. I have to be more conscious in my own life.

That change is the next level I look forward to, change enough that eventually the need for the lessons we learn from blogs and books is eliminated, much like the need for formal rules, regulations, and laws disappears as we internalize the lessons they are meant to instill.

Yes, the more I think about that idea, the more I like it. In fact, I am stirring around some variables right now concerning Personal Development Partners and an upcoming Forum here at Today is that Day. I’m thinking that local meet up plans are going to be part of that process.

Stay tuned for an update on what I come up with!

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on what you are doing with your blog!

As has been proven many times over, people who blog from the heart have more successful blogs than people who are just in it to accomplish some task.

In my case, that was part of the inspiration for this post. My passion is in seeing people actually succeed, not just read about it. And you are 100% correct – the process includes ALL of the steps, not just the successful steps!

Awesome stuff, Marc. Thanks again for sharing, and with regard to the sensing of upcoming blog entries, that happens to me all the time when I am commenting!!

I love your idea about taking it out into the community – kinda a “Meet the Bloggers” event… rolled out across the States, with one prominent blogger taking charge in each particular area, and holding a conference per se where every blogger has a stall and people mingle and meet and chat and talk…

What a wonderful event that would be.

It ties in to what Edward says, about us going out and doing the reaching…

I tend to agree. Much like a product or service provider who is trying to reach their customers, the bloggers in this instance are the ones who have the product (our writing) that we are wanting people to both see and take action on.

I haven’t given the idea of “meatspace meet-ups” (HA – thanks, Lyman!) a lot of thought yet, but offhand one of the first things to consider is financing it. A successful blogger might be able to chip in to pay for meeting areas, refreshments, etc., but ultimately something like that would need to be resourced out (a.k.a. paid for) by some sort of attendance fees, donations, etc.

I have a lot of friends that I have met through the Internet (pre-blogging days), and several of them have a successful system of collecting “event fees” that aren’t extraneous, but when enough people pay to attend an event, it can add up to a large some of money that is then used to pay for meeting halls, food, supplies, etc.

Anyone have any thoughts on that type of idea?

Personally, I think it’s probably going to be a lot of both. Especially as blogging becomes more widely accepted and utilized.

But for the next few years I think that if we really do want to “create something” that reaches beyond the blogoshpere, we have to go out and do the reaching.

Meatspace – HA! I love it! I had never heard that before.

You also nailed it with the phrase “scratching each others backs” because a large part of the blogosphere is made up of exactly that. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with it, and in fact, it is part of what makes blogging so wonderful and successful. However, if all we ever do is keep “inter-breeding” amongst ourselves, eventually the medium will stagnate.

However, that being said, as you said about Creating a Better Life, each of us brings a unique bit of knowledge and experience to the table, and that should definitely be shared, even if the “big picture” isn’t clear yet.

That is one of the great things about blogging; once we write it, then it’s permanent for people to find for years to come!

The next challenge is figuring out how to get out of towners to come to our little village!