I initially started this blog as a personal journal, which then evolved with my resolution to pursue continuous personal development and discovery and then, more specifically, how can I find fun and engaging ways to this, rather than it being a chore.

Now, if there is something I’ve learned during this process of evolving this blog and giving it an new look and feel, it’s how much of a perfectionist I can be in certain things. I’m not pathological by any means, but it can be frustrating sometimes, for myself even. I wanted something that was just right. I spent about two days looking though hundreds of themes and another half a day just tweaking the theme I liked best to be just so. No doubt the blog still doesn’t look as good as what professional designers could achieve, but I’m happy with it as it is. However…

After watching the Oprah show the other day, I found out about the website Quick and Dirty Tips. Oprah had Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl, on the show talking about grammar and Mignon’s rise to popularity in the online world as Grammar Girl.

So after the show I went to the Quick and Dirty Tips website and I couldn’t help but feel jealous for the awesome website design they have. The characters are so nicely crafted, the colors are rich, but not overwhelming, and just in general the whole feel of the website is welcoming. I just love it. I keep thinking, I want to have my own character there talking about something, I want to be apart of that, whatever that is It’s not a lifestyle website, but I get the feeling that there is a culture behind that website that is compelling and makes people want to the apart of it.

I think the same thing can be said of Oprah as well and a lot of other things in the world that come to be extremely popular. That doesn’t come easy. It takes a lot of work to build a culture and feeling like that within your business, website, or even yourself, in order to attract great people into your life.

That is something I’d like to do here as well. To develop this space into a place that you all will love and enjoy and have that feeling belonging and fulfillment. I’d like to create that culture here with you now, so please give your feedback and participate.

It all starts with a vision, I believe. To create that image in your mind, that feeling in your heart of what this place will represent and mean to you all. I’d like to share with you my vision for this space, and please feel free to comment and share your’s.

Personal Success means different things to different people, however what we all have in common is that we all want the best life for ourselves and for the people we love. We can’t all be rich and famous, else there wouldn’t be rich and famous people in the world, but we can all be successful and happy.

Everybody learns in their own way, however we all learn the same things. We are all so different and yet so fundamentally alike, so let like help like and unlike broaden our horizons.

In this space I will share with you, and hopefully you can share with us, simple and fun things you can do that will bring more success and happiness to your life. Examples of this could include:

• Creativity challenges that solve specific hypothetical problems people might have
• Fun tools that build your personal power so that success comes easily.
• Inspiring stories that provide valuable life lessons
• Your suggestions welcome…

I found out about this blog post from readsaid. Old guy thinking is a brilliant post, by Mark Hanington, about lessons “learned after 36 years of being a father, 33 years as a teacher…”
Absolute must read

I read a deep and insightful post today from Life 2.0 called Perspectives on Psychotherapy, which I recommend you all read. One quote they mentioned that struck a chord with me.

From a lecture by Wolter Keers in Gent (sent to me by Ray Sender) -

I had a meeting yesterday evening with a group of psychiatrists and psychologists. There I defended the proposition that there is only one psychic obstacle and that you can reduce all of psychology and psychotherapy, and all psychiatry to that one obstacle. That one problem is that we have forgotten that we are love.

…

Love cannot be given to anyone, you cannot get love; you can’t make water wet, because water is wetness. Neither can anyone give you love, no one can receive love from you, you can only recognize love in yourself and you can recognize love in others.

There’s more, but head on over to the original post to check out the rest.