Who says you’ve got to be famous to share your life story with others? If you think your life is too boring to capture the attention of an audience, you are probably wrong. Every single person on the earth has a unique and interesting story to tell. This is why I encourage others to Bio Blog or create an online memoir sharing their own life experiences with people like them.
Most of us are surprised when we open up to others and find out that we often connect on many levels. When we laugh, we rarely laugh alone. We have known this fact for a very long time. What we may not have known is that when we cry, we rarely cry alone, either. This does not go against the belief that most people would prefer to be around happy people rather than unhappy ones. It is just that many people will avoid listening to the problems of another and often run from them. Rather than bare their own chests, they show an unwillingness to share their own personal issues that might establish a rich human connection and complete a circle of trust, authenticity and common empathy.
One Person’s “Open Book” is Another’s “Hush, Hush”
So, why do most people refrain from sharing their personal triumphs and struggles with others? As to the former, we believe it is poor manners to boast of our accomplishments. Regarding the latter, there is legitimate concern that the information we provide may be used against us by employers, insurance companies and scammers – and even friends, who may be offended by souring past accounts involving them.
Some of us have been raised to remain closed mouthed about our personal business. Those with “something to hide” certainly have good reason to remain silent. Stories of “closeted skeletons” are best told by Stephen King and Dean Koonz, especially when they are the non-fictional accounts of real people’s lives.
There are also those, who may be far too embarrassed to share with friends that things have been going very well in their lives for a prolonged period. Out of respect for others, less fortunate, they often seek to avoid creating feeling of jealousy, sadness and disappointment during their own challenging times.
The truth is that we all have faced personal and family struggles at sometime in our lives. If we haven’t yet, we eventually will. No one escapes life without some bumps and bruises. There are plenty of famous and wealthy people, who able to claim a rough growing up. Many have been forced to deal with issues that their money and/or fame could not remedy.
The Struggles of Life Do Not Discriminate
Consider some of our more recent tabloid news stories. Despite Tom Cruise’s fame and fortune, his celebrity wife still left him due to “irreconcilable differences,” likely over his dogmatic religious beliefs and associated child-rearing issues.
Child Actor Corey Haim’s general unhappiness and past drug abuse ultimately led to his suicide.
Ex-NFL star OJ Simpson is currently serving a long jail term for armed robbery after beating a murder rap (though not the related civil challenge) years earlier.
Disco Diva Donna Summer could not overcome her terminal cancer, despite having enough connections and financial resources to get the best medical care available today.
Are any of these situations exclusive to the rich and famous? Of course, they are not. Life happens to all human beings; rich and poor, famous and obscure. Ironically, Cruise and or Katy Holmes will eventually write juicy, tell-all books and financially profit from their own personal hurts. People are interested in and will surely pay several dollars to read about celebrities “brought down” by human actions that we may find to be rather common throughout society.
The Benefits of Bio Blogging Are Tied to Good Judgment
So, with all that has been said what are the benefits and tips associated with Bio Blogging? There are many benefits and much prudent advice to share.
None of us have to be part of a dynasty to want to provide a living record of our lives to family members and close friends. Leaving behind a life story to your children and your children’s children can be among the most precious gifts anyone of us can grant. Whether it is offered in writing, audio or in a video blog format, this is a gift that keeps giving from one generation to the next.
By the way, Bio Blogging does not require everyday people to share every sordid detail of their lives. We are free to share as much or as little of ourselves as we wish and we should be able to choose to whether we share our personal stories with full or limited access; that we may select public or private exposure.
Bio Blogging is also a healthy cathartic experience for many of us. As we remember, associate (connect one past experience with another) and write about our lives, we benefit by being able to sort out and filter a series of details and events; assess their impact on our personal development and in our relationships with others; and in coming to terms with the meaning of our lives. This is all good as an emotional exercise.
We must, however, be mindful that what we place on the Web might not have an expiration date. Though we presently have many voluntary controls in place regarding viewing privileges, the future may hold some unpleasant surprises, which have the potential of challenging and defeating these controls.
Weigh the Risks and Count the Benefits
Should such indefinite concerns submarine an individual’s decision to add his or her memoirs on the web? They have not deterred me from Bio Blogging on my hometown’s Patch.com (AOL) site. There I have an ongoing series of posts called “Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself.” I will admit that my Bio Blog series has not come without controversy. The family of my high school prom date was upset with me for publicly revealing her identity and sharing some not too flattering episodes in our teenager relationship forty years ago. We live and we learn. Apologies were given, changes were made and my life story has moved on to later years.
If you Bio Blog, just use good judgment and think before you publish. You’ll be fine and your story will have been told and endure long after you have passed.
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