I recently posted an article based on a writing prompt I received from my writing coach. Beginning my morning writing with a short prompt allows me a freedom I’ve never had when writing before because I’m relatively unedited and I fall into a free-flow, without judgment.
The prompt was: “How do you know a Fuck Yes? Let me tell you…”
As I wrote for 12 minutes, the message I shared in this piece was how to tap into your gut. And have the sensitivity to move to the next step in a relationship, either personal or professional. When there are no red flags, no knots in your stomach, and when you’re feeling a full body “Yes!”
You’re moving on without hesitancy.
The words flowed easily as I had two clear revelation from which to share stories.
As the initial prompt sentence suggested, the piece led me to curse quite a bit. I impulsively chose to take my writing, finesse it a bit, and post it on my blog. Where I speak in my own voice and share my personal observations.
I then questioned some friends on Facebook about their perspective of cursing online. Moreover, I received the gamut of responses but the overall theme was that if the words are not forced, are authentic and cursing is part of your brand, then do it. And, own it.
Since the feedback was mostly validating, I could have chosen to leave the piece up, but I decided to show it to one of my best friends who has no interest in the online world of marketing. She’s not on Facebook and doesn’t really get how people buy and sell services from people they’ve just met online. The whole online world feels very distant and strange to her.
I show this friend almost everything I work on. She’s my voice of reason. I never show something to her looking for a pat on the head, or validation. I show it to her because I truly value her perspective, because after thirty years of a deep friendship she fully gets who I am and what I’m about.
Her responses are always thoughtful and she’s always got a strong opinion. And, it’s an opinion that matters to me.
“Kim, not only do I hate your cursing, and think it’s unnecessary, but to tell people to follow their gut sounds like a simplistic message for you to share. Who doesn’t know that? If this were the first piece I read of yours, not knowing what you’re about, I wouldn’t be interested in you. And I wouldn’t want to read more.”
Clearly she had a strong opinion.
I could feel myself getting defensive as she shared her comments but I stopped myself. I took in her words and let them settle. As I reflected on what she’d said, I had a clear revelation. While to me this was just one piece of many I’ve written over the years. In isolation it didn’t really represent what I’m about. And it’s not how I’d like someone to meet me for the first time.
While cursing is a part of who I am and what I do in the spoken word, it’s always within context. But, this piece, if read on its own, is totally out of Kim-context. I chose to pull the blog and delete the Facebook conversation because it doesn’t really represent me in a vacuum.
While it may not always be easy to do this, my goal, as I write each post, will be that it can stand on its own. Each piece is a short story, a moment in time. And if you are meeting me for the first time, you will have a clear revelation what I want what to share is to reflect what I’m about. So you have the choice to decide if you really resonate with me. And also want to invest any more of your time reading what I share and being a part of my world.
