July
30,
2010
I was reading @LisaBarone’s post titled Why Are You Scared to Be Outspoken? and this particular paragraph struck a chord with me…
The reason Rae and Rhea and Dawn and myself can be so outspoken and transparent is because we’re not hiding anything. We are who we are and we believe in the services we provide and our ability to get clients results they can’t get anywhere else. If you’re not outspoken, and are instead building a brand based on politically correct phrases, fake handshakes and regurgitating – what are you scared to put out there?
I often get asked, and sometimes my personal life is hindered, by my uber-transparent nature online. Many think it is inappropriate and even some feel it is psychologically unhealthy. I’ve even had people in my life bar me from discussing certain aspects of my life online (if you know me well you know who that was and the reasons behind it).
So why am I so open online? Lisa Barone states her reason is that she stutters and grew up “mute, scared and without an identity.” I grew up quite conversely. My parents encouraged a voice from my sister and I in the family. Even as children we were treated equally to my parents. When we made mistakes we corrected but the correction was always immediately follow-up with a hug and a kiss showing their unconditional love.
I was never given rules but rather guidelines. ‘The talk’ regarding drugs with my family was that they don’t recommend them but that they did them when they were younger and most likely nothing too bad would come from it overall but that it’s something that can hinder your life and the priorities you set in your life so they don’t recommend it. That was enough for me. I have never done an illegal drug and NEVER will (I visited Amsterdam in February 2010, I’ll leave it at that). The fact I was given guidelines versus rules is a major component as to why I am anti-corporate and frankly why I like SEO so much (but that’s another random post someday).
My key reason for being so open online is due to the unconditional love that exists in my family and that I have for others. I don’t care what you do, have done, feel, think, etc. I am friends with more than one felon. I have some friends that are addicted to pharmaceutical drugs, others that are alcoholics, still others that do illegal drugs, etc. I have friends that cheat on their husbands and their wives. I have friends that are devoted Mormons, intense Lutherans, diligent Atheist, etc. I don’t care . . . I like them because they treat me well and . . . more importantly… because they accept me for who I am also. I am a flawed individual. So are you. I’m fine with sharing my flaws openly.
As most of you know, I am an Atheist (some choose to think I am not, but I am). Once in a blue moon I may consider the possibility that there is a god but it is short lived (like less than 5 mins). It is my belief that the scriptures, however, aren’t lies. The scriptures (from the Bible to the Koran, to the Dead Sea Scrolls, to the Book of Mormon) are accounts of what the authors saw. They did their best to describe what they saw based off their limited ability to describe it. I believe what they saw may have been a window into today’s world and to make my theological ideals short for this post I’ll focus some here and state that I believe Social Media is the Book of Life that is mentioned in the scriptures. The book that has all of the deeds and thoughts (both good and bad) of a person’s life. The day will come that everyone will know everything about everyone else. Some people will try to hide under rocks. Otherwise will be killed by the persecution of others either figuratively or literally based on their deeds.
I choose to live my life openly and let people choose for themselves, with all the facts, whether they want to associate with me or not.
I am Brent D. Payne . . . and I am far from perfect. Enjoy the show.
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