Chasing Joy

Search Results for: Happiness

The Joy Of Giving To The Inter-Faith Housing Alliance

|


As my dad would say, today is Christmas Eve’s, Eve’s, Eve’s, Eve’s Eve’s….  you get the idea.  Thanksgiving is behind us as well as Hanukkah, and we are deep into the holiday season.  Along with being a season of celebrating our faiths, connecting with family  and spreading good cheer, it is also a season of Giving.  Many of you helped kick off the season of giving by donating items at the Joy of Giving Charity Event last month.  I’m asking you to either join in or keep it up by donating an item from the Inter-Faith Housing Alliance’s Registry on Amazon.com

From their website, “Inter-Faith Housing Alliance is a non-profit organization providing housing and supportive services for homeless families throughout the greater Montgomery County, Pennsylvania region since 1982.”  The Shades of Social Media (a blogging community of women of color who support and encourage each other as we make a place for ourselves, and our stories, online) is coordinating a virtual holiday toy drive for the Inter-Faith Housing Alliance’s emergency shelter.  There are currently 8 Families in need of gifts for the holidays with children ranging from 2 months through teen years:

Mom and 3 girls
Mom and 1 boy and infant girl
Dad and 1 boy and 1 girl
Mom and 4 teenagers, 2 girls and 2 boys
Mom and 1 girl and 1 boy
Mom and 1 boy
Mom and 2 boys and 1 girl
Mom and 2 boys

There are many things that we do to give ourselves little bits of happiness this time of year.  We visit family, attend special holiday worship services, cook our families traditional favorite meals, watch family oriented programing, and decorate our homes with lights, stockings, and all varieties of festive odds and ends. While the holiday season is about more than gift giving it is  probably the most common and often the most fun part of these holiday celebratory activities.  I hope, like me, you know the joy of giving someone something special at the holidays.  The look on their face as they open the gift bag or remove the holiday wrappings with anticipation.  The smile as they take in the gift you gave them and the realization that you felt they were important enough to be thinking about at holiday time. There are families who will not be able to take part in that aspect of the holidays.
250 logoAs a member of the Shades of Social Media I am so happy to participate in this holiday drive for families in need.  It fills me with great joy that the Shades of Social Media is stepping in to fill the gap for some of these families.  There will be 7 moms and 1 dad who will be able to witness the joy on their children’s faces as they open gifts.  These families will know that despite whatever circumstances that lead them to the Inter-Faith Housing Alliance they are important and worthy of being thought about at the holidays.

The Shades of Social Media and the Inter-Faith Alliance has made it super easy for you to get involved and help make this as happy a holiday season as possible for these families. All you have to do is visit the Amazon Gift Registry and select an item and make your purchase online. The items can be shipped directly to The Alliance.  You don’t have to pick up anything, ship anything, or wrap anything.  You can even add a special note wishing them happy holidays if you want.  There are plenty of items left on the list.  The families are not asking for much just some baby products and toys for the little ones and a few household items to help the moms and dads when they get back on their feet.  Prices of the items on the registry range from as low as $7  up to $60. Yesterday I purchased five items from the registry and had them shipped directly to the alliance for a total of less than $50.  Totally worth the money to help these families have a good Christmas and happy holiday season.

I hope you consider helping out the families residing at the Inter-Faith Alliance.  Did you purchase something off of the Alliance’s Registry?  Do you find yourself in more of a giving spirit during the Holiday Season?  What Charities do you donate to regularly during the Holidays or throughout the year?

PS.  If you write a blog post or tweet, Instagram or Facebook about the Inter-Faith Housing Alliance Gift Registry please use the hashtag #ShadesCares

D.C. #CJBL Twitter Chat Recap, Join The Conversation

|

Last week Curvy Ceo, Erika, and Jese (the ladies joining me at the D.C Chasing Joy Brunch and Learn hosted a Twitter Chat to give you all a sneak peak at what the conversation will be like at the DC. Brunch.

With the brunch going down on January 11th the conversation will focus on starting the new year with goals that include having happiness as a priority, thinking about how our style affects how we feel about ourselves, how others perceive us, and how  feeling good about ourselves  inside and out can help us have more Joy.

The #CJBL Chat focused on those same topics. Check out some of the tweets from the chat below.  Feel free to reply or retweet.  Join the conversation!!!

[View the story “#CJBL Twitter Chat Recap” on Storify]

Join us in DC on January 11th to continue the Chat in real life.

Why It Is Ok To Work On Thanksgiving!!!

|

Thanksgiving is only a few days away.  It is safe to say the holiday season has officially begun.  The stores are filled with Christmas decorations.  The reruns of Golden Girls and Frasier that I usually fall asleep watching have been replaced with non-stop Hallmark Christmas movies (I can’t say that I’m happy about that) .  The season of holiday cheer is here.

Unfortunately for many people this is not a joyful season at all. Honestly these last few Christmases since my dad passed away I have struggled.  For many of us this is a sentimental time of year full of memories.  Memories of good times that may make the present day feel lacking and memories of not so good times that may create a sense of dread about the holidays to come.  In general the holidays are times when reflection is common and all that reflection can bring about feelings that are not always pleasant.

With that being said and Thanksgiving being merely days away I’m going to give you a suggestion to help you through Turkey Day.  Obviously you should count your blessings and what you are thankful for but in addition to that I have another idea.  I do believe there is a certain amount of Joy that comes from being honest with ourselves.  So if you are not looking forward to Turkey Day I say admit it to yourself and do something really off the wall. Go To Work!!!  

I know, I know, crazy idea, right?  This suggestion is not for everyone.  I got the idea from a friend of mine who happens to love Thanksgiving.  We were talking about how some people have a hard time during the holidays.  Especially if they are far away from family, don’t have any family, don’t get along with their family or for some other reason have negative emotions tied to the holiday.  My friend’s response, “I’d just go to work”.  It was such a simple solution to a rather complex issue.  Men are good at that sometimes, coming up with quick and easy solutions.

If Thanksgiving is not your thing, here are a few reasons you may want to work on Turkey day:

  • Money, Money, Money, Money!!!  If you have a position where you get time and a half or even double time the bump in your pay check for working the holiday can be substantial.   This can come in handy especially if you have lots of gift giving or other holiday related expenses to cover in the next few weeks.  Money can’t buy happiness but it is still nice 🙂 
  • Give other’s Joy! There are many people who have to go to work on Thanksgiving.  Positions associated with Hospitals, Law Enforcement, Transportation, Retail, Food Services, and others all require people to come to work.  If you happen to work in one of those fields and Thanksgiving is not your thing or you just aren’t looking forward to it because you cannot celebrate the way you want, why not volunteer to work for one of your co-workers who is really excited about Turkey Day.  Covering for someone for a half day so they can come in later or leave early is also a really nice gesture.  This may not change how you feel about the holiday but you will feel really good about being a blessing to someone else.  It may also strengthen your relationship with your co-workers.
  • Stay occupied!  Often if we are down, whether over the holidays or something else, it gets really easy to just dwell on all of the things that are bothering us.  Rather than sit around and think about all the reasons you are not enjoying Thanksgiving (missing loved ones, lack of finances to travel, unhappy with family life, or other issues) go to work and take your mind off of things.  The saying the idle mind is a devils workshop is true because it is in those times when we are unoccupied that we begin to feel worse and worse.  Going to work can keep your mind busy.

If for some reason you are feeling really crappy about Thanksgiving I have given you three good reasons to go to work to feel better.  If your normal 9 to 5 does not give you the opportunity to work the holiday busy yourself volunteering, working on your blog, hobby, or your own business. Another option can be to put yourself to work in the kitchen cooking for others, that’s what I’ll be doing.

The most obvious advice for someone not thrilled about how they are spending the Thanksgiving Holiday is to think about what they are thankful for and count their blessings.  Aside from that what advice would you give?  Do you think going to work is a good option? Have you ever voluntarily worked on a Holiday? Why?

P.S. If your online tonight join in for the #CJBL twitter chat at 9pm EST.  This will be a sneak peak at what the Chasing Joy Brunch and Learn will be like. We will be talking about how to have more Joy in our lives, setting goals for 2014, what our style says about us, and if our style is getting us where we want or standing in our way.  Do join in.  It will be fun!!!  Hashtag is #CJBL and follow me @Chasing_Joy.  

#Blogalicious5 Recap Part 3: Blogalicious Tips on Adding to Your Team

|

If you have been reading my recap series on #Blogalicious5 or any of my previous posts about the conference than you already know I Love it.  One of the reasons I love it is the organizers provide a wide variety of information and networking opportunities.  One of my favorites of these opportunities is the round table lunch discussions.

Instead of a centerpiece on each table there was a piece of paper with a topic.  The topics included things like  late life bloggers and natural hair bloggers.  I chose to sit at the table for bloggers who were interested in bringing on help.  This table was for bloggers who are growing and looking to bring on an intern, team member, employee, etc. to help them with their blog, and was perfect for me.

A few weeks ago I partnered with a friend of mine Cherise from Ispaci  to develop the Chasing Joy Ambassadorship collaboration and today I am announcing that Iman from Me, Myself, and Em’s is joining the team as well as an Ambassador.  So, you see why the table for bloggers bringing in help was a great fit for me.

Each table had a moderator and ours was great.  The one at my table, Cora was great.  She had an outline prepared but let us ask our questions first.  She was open, candid, and knowledgeable.  One of the things I hoped to gain insight on at Blogalicious was how to determine which areas of blogging I could delegate or outsource, as managing a successful blog included more than me over sharing my thoughts with you guys a few times a week.  It also includes creating images, responding to comments, replying to emails, monitoring metrics, and managing social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc…)  Cora gave me exactly the insight I was looking for.

To figure out which areas you may want to bring in help or outsource for you should first answer the following questions: 

  • Why do you write?
  • What tasks help you make money?
  • What things are not getting done or falling through the cracks?
  • What do you hate doing?
  • What do you love doing?
These answers will be different for everyone but answering them will help you figure out what tasks to do yourself and what tasks to pass on to others.  Things you love and things that support the overall reason why you write should likely be done by you or monitored closely.  Things that you hate doing and things that are falling through the cracks should be outsourced or passed on to someone on your team.  Things that make you money should be a top priority making sure they get done either by you or a team member.  This was just the info I was looking for.  
Here are some other general tips and insights from the round table discussion: 
  • Make sure you have a confidentiality agreement
  • Things a virtual assistant  may do include but are not limited to:
    • writing blog posts
    • monitoring metrics and analytics
    • act as a Social Media manager manage Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc…
  • Be prepared to fire people and keep possible termination in mind when hiring/working with friends
  • If you are going to let someone go terminate access to your blog and social media account before you terminate them.  
  • Develop an accounting system early on.
  • Restrict the number of administrators on your blog and Social Media accounts
  • Give team members separate logins
  • Restrict the permissions with admin accounts
I hope you find these tips and insights as helpful as I did.  Have you brought on staff, interns, or teammates to help you with your blog or business?  Did you use any of the tips above?  Do you have any tips to add to the list?
Now take a moment to welcome Iman to the Chasing Joy team.  

Iman is the author of the blog Me, Myself and Em’s. Me, Myself and Em’s (MMEM’s) is a blog about her adventures living in Philadelphia, while being a twenty-something chasing joy while chasing after her dreams.  The objective of MMEM’s is to encourage everyone to go after their goals, no matter what! Be your own cheerleader! You can do it! It is a place to learn and grow for the future, by changing our focus to attain the goal at hand. Join Iman on this journey. She posts every Wednesday.
Be sure to visit Iman at memyselfandem.wordpress.com to congratulate her for becoming a Chasing Joy Ambassador or Click to Tweet. “Congrats on becoming a Chasing Joy Ambassador @MeMyselfandEms Looking forward to your take on happiness on www.chasing-joy.com” 

#Blogalicious5 Recap Part 2: Blogalicious Lessons Not Just for Bloggers

|

I Love Blogalicious and you will too!  Come next year!  The end.

LOL, Just joking. Well I’m serious about loving Blogalicious and you comming next year. I’m joking about the “the end” part.

Obviously Blogalicious is for bloggers.  I mean it has the word blog right in the name.  However, there are always non-bloggers, representatives from sponsor brands in attendance as well.  The great thing about the conference is, mixed in with all of the blog talk, is a whole lot of inspiration and lessons for life.  In addition to blogging I also have a full time job.  I’ve attended 3 Blogalicious conferences and come away each time with life lessons and inspiration that help me be a better person (not just blogger) and have more Joy.

Here are some of my takeaways from #Blogalicious5.

One of the Keynote Speakers was Ms. Amy D Barnett (@AmyDBarnett).  She delivered an inspiring message encouraging us to reclaim our lives.  No one is coming to save you she said, No one can live your life for you.  Many of us are consciously or unconsciously waiting for someone to save us or give us step by step directions on life. We have to realize no one is coming.  We have to stand up except that our happiness and success is up to us. Own your life,  it is yours and yours alone, Amy advised.

Ms. Barnett also shared with us the 7 rules she lives by.

  1. Embrace fear as growth -You will never be all that you can if you don’t’ feel fear and get out of your comfort zone. Go somewhere unfamiliar.  Do something scary.   Embrace fear as evidence you are growing
  2. Be true to yourself. You know yourself best.  
  3. Realize your value and command the best at all times. -No one will give you opportunities that you don’t believe you deserve.  Expect happiness and success
  4. Put into the universe what you expect to get back – I you put out negative energy people will treat you in a negative way. This one kid of reminded me of the Golden rule, do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. 
  5. Have integrity – Do what you say you are going to do.
  6. Stay independent – Always be in a position to take care of yourself.
  7. Do something meaningful every day. – Don’t wait to live. Life is happening right now!  This is my favorite of her rules.  I spent a lot of years waiting to live.  Waiting until I graduated school, waiting until I had a house, waiting to get married, etc…  But no more of that!
I really enjoyed Ms. Barnett’s rules.  I think I will come up with my own rules for a joyful life.  
The life lessons did not stop there.  Throughout the entire conference I jotted down tips that applied to not just my blogging life but also my work life and other areas where I may take on a leadership role.
Here are a few tips that I will use when working with others.
  • Be poised and set the tone.  If you are calm your team will be calm.  If you are stressed and freaking out your team will lose confidence and follow suit. 
  • Play to your teammates strengths. Figure out what they are good at and focus on those talents. Don’t waste time trying to turn weaknesses into strengths
  • Keep things positive by praising 3 positive actions for every 1 criticism given.
  • Avoid “I” and embrace “we”.  People like to feel included.  You also get a better response when people feel they are working with you as opposed to working for you.
  • Give credit for successes and take credit for failures.  I thought this was a great tip.  One of my biggest pet peeves at work is people in leadership positions who shift blame onto their teams when things don’t go as planned.  
  • Take genuine interests in your teammates.  You don’t have to get overly personal. But we are people with complicated lives and not machines.  A little interest can go a long way.
  • Give feedback and accept feedback.  It is important to let people on your team know how they are doing.  But it is also important that the feedback goes both ways.  Find out from your team how you are doing and be open to the criticism.  
Similar to the messages of PowerUp Weekend a lot of these life lessons and tips have to do with changing your mindset.  I think all of us often feel overwhelmed.  One of the best tips I heard at Blogalicious regarding changing our mindset was to change the way we viewed feeling overwhelmed.  When feeling overwhelmed think of it as God blessing you to the point of burst! 
Which of the above life lessons or tips can you apply to your life?  Which ones are most helpful? Are there any that you disagree with? 
I hope you enjoyed these non-blogging takeaways from Blogalicious.  Stay tuned to the blog for Part 3 of my recap where I will share lots and lots of tips all about blogging. 
 If you missed it check out #Blogalicious5 Recap Part 1

#FlashbackFriday & the Big Anouncement!!!

|

Happy Friday!  It’s Friday the 13th!!! (Cue scary music.)

Thanks for taking time to stop by Chasing Joy today before you get your Jason marathon going.  I know you are here for the big announcement but before I get to that, it’s time for the Flashback!!!

On #FlashbackFriday we share links to some of our favorite oldie but goody posts.  My favorite posts from last week’s linky are:

Let The Parodies Begin made me feel happy.  This will be my go to blog post when I need to smile 🙂  

Vodka Calling also made me laugh.  It’s all about a mom’s eventful shopping trip with her kids.  

My Flashback this week is Chasig Joy Brunch & Learn August Recap.  This post is a recap of all the fun I had at the last Chasing Joy event.

It’s your turn. Add your link below.  Share your post on the Chasing Joy Facebook Page and use the hashtag #FlashbackFriday on Twitter and Instagram to promote your Flashback posts. All are welcome to join the fun!!!  The only rule is to visit AT LEAST TWO other flashback posts from the linky.

Now, the moment you have been waiting for, the big announcement.  Are you ready???  Drumroll please…………

THE NEXT CHASING JOY BRUNCH & LEARN WILL BE SATURDAY JANUARY 11, 2014 IN WASHINGTON D.C.!!!!!!

That’s right the Chasing Joy Bruch & Learn is hitting the road and heading south from Philly to DC.  This road trip is going down thanks to an invitation from Curvy CEO. She loved hearing all of the positive feedback about the first two Brunches and did not want her D.C. area readers to miss out.

The D. C. Brunch will give D.C. area (and any of you who want to visit D.C.) bloggers, blog readers, and entrepreneurs the opportunity to come together in the spirit of starting the year off right by pursuing a happier more joyful life all while enjoying, networking, giveaways, speakers and a yummy Maggiano’s brunch.  Our speakers will be Jese Lewing Gary of Luxe Giving and Erika McDaniel of Your Chic is Showing.

If you are a blogger, blog reader, social media enthusiasts, motivator or person who has decided that personal happiness, fulfillment, and a Joyful life are goals worth pursuing then this is the event for you. If you believe gratitude, giving back, accomplishing goals, and trying new things are all methods of improving quality of life then this is the event for you.

Stay tuned to the Chasing Joy Event’s page for additional info.  The page will be updated regularly with info on our speakers, hostesses, and sponsors.  Be sure to join the Facebook Event and share it with your friends.  That’s the place for you to start connecting and networking early.  Also be sure to follow the hashtag #CJBL on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for up to date info.  

I hope to see many of you there on Saturday January 3, 2013 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Maggiano’s Chevy Chase, 5333 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC.

Registration is now officially open!  Act now to get the early bird pricing.

Have you been to a previous Chasing Joy or Curvy CEO event?  What did you love about it?  Will you be joining us in DC?

#FlashbackFriday Joy in Jamaica & An Introduction

|

It’s Friday!  You know what that means.  Time for the Flash Back!!!!  Happy #FlashbackFriday!!!

Before we start linking up our favorite blog post I want to take just a moment to introduce you to someone special.  I’d like to introduce the first Chasing Joy Ambassador, Cherise Rollins.

Cherise Rollins is a Professional Interior Stylist & Lighting Expert.  As an innovative designer, technical thinker, and creative artist she constructs personal spaces that inspire, empower, and invigorate.  Cherise’s design mission is to make home personalization accessible to everyone.  Her blog, ispaci, is built on the philosophy that design should start and end with ‘i’.  On ispaci Cherise provides design tips and ideas to help people create homes that are fully equipped to support their personalities and lifestyles.   It is her love for the individuality of people, a passion for design, and an adoration of the place we call home that fuels her work and her life.  Cherise is excited to be a part of the Chasing Joy movement and helps others find joy by maximizing environmental wellness, order, and beauty within their homes.

The Chasing Joy Ambassador is a partnership between bloggers designed to spread the word about Chasing Joy to encourage others to make personal happiness a priority. Chasing Joy Ambassadors will be featured regularly on the Chasing Joy website having the opportunity to write up to two guest posts per month.  Chasing Joy Ambassadors also receive complimentary registration at Chasing Joy Events.

I am currently seeking 1 more Ambassador. If you love the Chasing Joy blog and are interested in becoming an Ambassador please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MKTP6JG and complete the application.  Feel free to email me at joychasing@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Be sure to visit Cherise at ispaci.com to congratulate her for being the first Chasing Joy Abassador or Click to Tweet. “Congrats on becoming a Chasing Joy Ambassador @CheriseRollins. Looking forward to your take on happiness on www.chasing-joy.com“

Now, Let’s Link Up!!

My favorite posts from last week’s linky are:

My Flashback this week is Joy in Jamaica, Yeah Mon! is all about my Jamaican Vacation.
Now it’s your turn.
Add a link to your favorite older blog post below.  Share your post on the Chasing Joy Facebook Page and use the hashtag #FlashbackFriday on Twitter and Instagram to promote your Flashback posts. All are welcome to join the fun!!!  The only rule is to visit AT LEAST TWO other flashback posts from the linky.

P.S. Make sure you are following the hashtag #PowerUp2013 tomorrow.  I will be live tweeting form the Power Up Conference in D.C. Whoot!!!

The Chasing Joy Philosophy

|

This weekend I found myself in a double date type situation.  It started off good but ended pretty shitty.  I will spare you the details.  My friend and I had just met these guys so they did not really know us.  During the “tell me about yourself” segment of the evening I started talking about my blog.

I explained that on Chasing Joy I write about ways to have a happier life, specifically my pursuit of happiness and encouraging others to Chase Joy as well.  One of the guys enjoyed being devils advocate and challenged me.  He felt the problem with people was that they were quick to say “I’m happy” and use that as an excuse to not progress in life or achieve things.  You would not think that a person could put a negative spin on Chasing Joy, but it’s possible.

I responded to the Challenge by explaining a little bit more of my philosophy on happiness and Chasing Joy. My approach to happiness has several components.

  • Optimism – For me, optimism comes from spiritual practice.  Believing in something greater than myself, that has my best interest in mind allows me to approach situations that are not good with a sense of optimism and faith that this too shall pass.  That things can and will get better.  For me that “something greater than myself” is God / Jesus (I highly recommend 🙂
  • Gratitude – It is very difficult to be both angry or sad and grateful.  I find counting my blessings to be a good stress reliever. 
  • Trying New Things – I know I develop a lot of melancholy feelings or negative thoughts when I have too much time to think.  When my mind is not occupied with positive things negative things find their way in.  That is the true meaning of the saying “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.  Trying new things, learning, and having positive experiences keeps you focused in a positive direction.
  • Setting Goals – There is a reason I do a Facebook and Twitter post each week, with the hashtag #MakeitHappenMonday, asking people what their goals are for the week.  When we accomplish goals, big or small goals, there comes a sense of accomplishment and achievement.  We feel good about ourselves and proud for making progress.  These are all positive feelings that improve our satisfaction with life and increase our feelings of Joy.
  • Helping Others – There are two benefits to helping others.  When you are focused on doing something for someone else it can be a great distraction and give you  a little time out from worrying about your own problems. The second benefit, similar to achieving a goal, is the sense of accomplishment you feel when you help someone else solve a problem or make an accomplishment.  The only caution is to make sure that you are helping for the sake of helping and not for some type of reward from the other person.  While being thanked is a great bonus if you are helping someone only for the recognition you will not feel a sense of accomplishment or joy if that thank you does not come. You benefit when you help just for the sake of helping.  
After I explained my approach to my companion he seemed satisfied that I was not encouraging others to simply declare themselves happy and be complacent.  We moved on to other topics and the evening continued on, downhill unfortunately.  
What is your philosophy or approach to being happier and Chasing Joy???

Wordless/Wordful Wednesday: The Joy of Acknowledgement

|

A great thing happened yesterday.  I’m sure you saw my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts about it.  A friend messaged me on FB saying that I was mentioned in our Alumni Magazine for my blog.   I’d posted a link to my blog on the alumni website some time ago and forgot about it.  This is a huge honor for the Alumni magazine to give me a mention.

In case you did not know I went to Temple University.  That’s right I am #TempleMade!!!  I loved it.  I wear my TU ring proudly every day.  I met some of my closest friends in college.  As a matter of fact I met the two girls who inspired me to start this blog at Temple.  I guess this is one of those moments where things come full circle.

The mention says “Arlett R. Hartie, Cla’02 publishes the blog Chasing Joy, which encourages readers to pursue personal happiness.” That pretty much sums it up.  I hope my blog posts make you think a bit more about how to have more Joy.  My real life events are focused on continuing that conversation in person and building deeper connections with like minded, joy focused bloggers and non-bloggers. If you are local to Philly you should come to an event.

Personal happiness is the thing we forget about until we find ourselves unhappy.  Keep your personal happiness in the forefront of your mind and keep Chasing Joy.

Today I have Chased and caught a little Joy in being acknowledged by my alamamater.  What type of acknowledgements have given you the most Joy?

Joy is in Your Imperfections

|

Lately I have noticed a trend among my fellow bloggers that I find less than Joyful.  When you attend blog conferences a piece of advice that is often shared is “establish yourself as an expert”.  This is really great advice.  By showing your expertise in certain areas it gives your readers confidence that you know what you are talking about.  However, when we show our expertise in every post I think it takes us beyond the place of being an expert and takes us to the place of being unrelatable.  No one is an expert at everything and no one gets it right all the time. 

One of the reasons blogging has become a major marketing source for brands is because bloggers are real people  Their readers relate to them, think of them as a friend online, and feel comfortable taking their word when it comes to the things they like to do and the products they like to buy.  When we only blog about the areas where we excel and can demonstrate our expertise we run the risk of losing that relatability.  
Some of my favorite bloggers are relatable but still manage to stand out as experts:  

I have been a fan of Nacia from Granolaville since she was a Mom in Boyland.  She is an expert on having a more natural life in everything from childbirth, breastfeeding, to diet and juicing.  But one of my favorite post from her was the one about her not being ready to give up her perm.  I could so relate to that!!! 

My friend, Ms. Pillowz, who blogs at Big Diva Hq is an expert in promoting confidence in women of all sizes. Her recent post on the growing pains and difficulties involved in letting go of the person you were to become all that you are capable of definitely resonates with me.  Stretching our comfort zones, pushing past our fears and allowing ourselves to accept success are all hard things.  Her ability to be vulnerable and not perfect is what makes us all feel so comfortable and encouraged to keep moving forward when we read her blog.  

MJ over at A Girl Named Michael is an expert on blended families, step parenting, and books.  Her posts and Facebook shares include so many misadventures and quirks that she seems 100% down to earth. 

Amusing Foodie is the go to spot for all things yummy.  I loved her recent FB post about going out for pizza with her son was one of my favorites.  She does not cook yummy, home cooked meals for her family 365 days a year.  Sometimes she goes out for pizza just like the rest of us.  

While I am not in any way an expert on Happiness.  I can say that I’m an expert on trying, on not giving up, and on wanting better for myself and others.  I hope that my less than joyful moments like when I’m feeling lonely, suck at meditation, struggle with going to happy hours alone or have a spa treatment go seriously awry make me more relatable and shows why I am Chasing Joy.
So what do you think?  Do you appreciate it when bloggers share their less than perfect moments?
Paste your AdWords Remarketing code here