Nathan Hangen

The Road is Paved with Marbles [GCN-4]

You may have noticed that lately, I’ve taken a strong stance on a few topics.

I haven’t taken the safe road, that’s for sure. I’ve ruffled a few feathers and provoked a few opinions, some even stronger than my own.

That’s part of the game, and I enjoy every bit of it.

The Why

I’ve been blogging for a few years now, and for a long time it seemed as if my message wasn’t getting across. I was being subtle, sometimes taking a softer stance than I would’ve like, in order to appease people long enough to hang out and chat. That was a mistake.

It’s hard to write when you aren’t being yourself…when you’re pulling a Brutus on your own opinions. What’s worse, is when people agree with you even if you don’t agree with yourself.

It’s agonizing…trying to be friends with everyone without ruffling feathers and still feeling like your voice is heard. So, several weeks ago…I quit.

Sticking it Out

Quite honestly, I almost quit blogging entirely. Not because it doesn’t work or because it can’t be fun, but because it wasn’t fun. I was working my ass off at /blog, more so than on any other project, yet it was giving me the most heartache.

I felt like I was trying to help people that didn’t want help.

I got tired of reading the same bullshit every day, and even though, admittedly, I was becoming jaded, it seemed to me that blogging had no soul…at least where I was hanging out.

Now, I realize that not everyone is like me, nor do you have the same ambition, but I thought that there might be at least a  few of you that did.

My goal here has always been to empower myself and others to build great things so that we could change the world in our own little way. There’s power in numbers, and the more of us that stick together, the more magic we can create.

I couldn’t turn my back on that, and I couldn’t let “being jaded” win, so I decided to try something new.

Rolling out the Red Velvet Rope

Havi Brooks (this one is courtesy of Kelly Diels) calls this rolling out your own red velvet rope. The trick is simple really…instead of hiding yourself to reach a wider audience, you magnify yourself in order to choose a much smaller, but more passionate and better fitting one.

In my case, I figured “what the hell,” I didn’t have much to lose anyway. So I started calling it like I see it. I knew that some people would hate it, and wouldn’t come back. That’s fine with me.

But I also knew that a small group would not only like what I have to say, but would really identify with it. It’s those people I wanted to seek out, because I’m looking for people that want to change the world.

If I had to become an ass in order to find them, then so be it.

In Order to Make Change

In order to bring change, you have to piss a few people off. I’ve learned to accept that it comes with the territory.

I also realized that I’ll lose a few people along the way…I accept that too.

But it’s the people that stand by you, ready to stand up and say their peace, that are worth their weight in gold. I realized that the reason my blogging adventure has become so sluggish is because I wasn’t finding these people.

Dream Big

I’m not trying to preach at or over anyone, even though sometimes it might sound like it…I’m simply trying to do my part to inspire others to be a change agent and to not be afraid to be themselves.

It’s been a long time since people felt that they could dream big. There is a lot of resistance to thought like that…I can’t stand it. So I decided to use the napalm approach in order to clear out some of the brush.

I wanted to give people a voice. I wanted to dare people to dream big.

So far, I like what I’m seeing.

We All Have Something to Say

You may not want to be a billionaire or to change the world, but there has to be something that you really want…something that you haven’t accomplished yet.

My question to you is…how can I help you get there?

Lastly, as a call to action, I’d ask you to always say what you need to say, regardless of who’s toes you step on…because you know what happens when you take down gatekeepers? New ones are created.

Not everyone’s word is gold, and mine is far from it, so I urge you…if you have something to say, then say it. As I said on Copyblogger yesterday – “your ideas need you.”

I never thought I’d say this, but John Mayer was right.

Other Posts

• Are You Not Entertained?
• I’m Taking the Gloves Off
• Social Media Has Become a Virus
• Where 99% of Bloggers Go Wrong
• Make Nothing but Art

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