You, You, Your’s

Recently I sat in a seminar "What's your brand?" and it made me think: me-Robert H is a person with many strengths, beliefs, actions, knowledge, backstory and experiences.  Am I a product with a BRAND?   I looked up the word and found mostly business responses.  Yet one left me pondering.
On emotivebrand.com I read   

I like to think of the definition of Brand simply as “a promise”.  

All good and well but can I have a brand to identify ME?  I say YES.  My brand is Writer with honesty and thoughtfulness   Of course there is more to me like brother, son, queer, faith oriented and outgoing. 

Another way to look at a persons brand is their story, YOUR STORY.

One way to look at a persons brand, YOUR brand is to ask "what is it that makes you, you? What is your story"

Think about it and please comment in the box on this blog

Fit in or?

We grow up believing that in order to be happy, we need to belong somewhere – a society, a country, a social circle and finally, a family.. Yes that's a broad statement and one I don't often make.  For me it's partly true.  For me here's the hard part. The youngest of five children, I am the tallest and the only gay one.  Until my family aged I was the only one with a life challenging condition :HIV.

Leaving the cocoon of a close family to live in Southern Florida eight years ago set me farther apart.  I felt a NEED to seek out others like me: a man of faith queer and such.

Here I am on a Thursday evening, television off and alone and I'm OK with that. 

Happy with my sence of self is where I belong at this moment.

Where do you fit in in all of your challenges and changes?

Depression

“I often compare depression to the monster-under-the-bed mentality. You never know when it will creep out of its lair, ready to attack and make your life even more difficult and trying,”

That can be a powerful statement and one I'm far too familiar with.  Although I try to maintain an upbeat personality I too feel depressed.  

I recently read this about depression. I know no step by step program will change things I choose to pick what works (an A. A. expression!!)

After you read thought this PLEASE comment on my blog about how YOU work though depression.

https://preview.tinyurl.com/affirmblog

Discomfort Zone

Have you used "I'd rather stay in my comfort zone?" I know I have and do other stay there. The word COMFORT alone speaks volumes.  Webster defines the word or feeling "the easing or alleviation of a person's feelings of grief or distress."  

volumes Living in my comfort zone hasn't always been easy.  Coming out at 17yrs to my mom. Getting an HIV status at 24  A stroke at 41 and admitting I need help makes this guy from a German background uneasy.

It's when I left my comfort zone that I grew and continue to still.  Just this blog alone "It's not about me" well it is about me: I write from my experience hoping to find or share a connection with you and yours.

If I had stayed in my comfort zone during chemo treatments in the 1994 I'd have never bicycled across Alaska, lived/worked in Kenya or even moved from closeness of family to southern Florida

Some times it's good to leave our/my  comfort zone to find out that the discomfort zone doesn't last long

Please comment here to share if you find entering "The Discomfort Zone" helpful

Do It

In the past few months I've been super busy starting  a non profit.  It's taken time and money.
At times I get so frustrated at the delays etc I feel like giving up then I hear some one say "We need this"

I WILL follow the directions of my dreams. do you follow yours?

Teach Them Well

Crosby Still Nash and Young sang a song in the sixties "Teach Your Children Well"

One big line in this song is "So just look at them and sigh and know they love you"

I try to tell people I care about "I love you   especially  the ones who changed my life: mom, family come to mind first.

Lets teach us and everyone, OUR CHILDREN well by telling them how much we care and that we love them

Does Not Expire

Your dream doesn't have an Expiration date

I read that quote, it often ends with  "Take a deep breath and try again" ascribed to KT Witten
For the purpose of this blog I'm sticking with the first line.  Steve Pieters wrote in his book I'm Still Dancing "God does not stamp our feet with an expiration date"  Steve has been living with AIDS since mid 1980s so he knows a thing about potential exasperations!!

Have you ever felt that you  just cant go on? A relationship failed, finances are abysmal, etc?  I know I have.  Regardless I know from previous low life moments I'll survive.   There is no expiration on what I, WE can achieve