Tag You’re It

There’s a fun six question challenge going around the blogosphere. And my friend Vicki tagged me in her post today and inspired me to jump on this fun bandwagon. Not only do we get to examine these questions introspectively, but it also builds community and allows us to get to know each other. I’m in!

So thanks to Peter Springer and Melanie McGauran for encouraging us to peel back the layers. And thanks to Vicki for tagging me.

The questions and my answers…

1.How did you come up with your blog name?

This blog started off as Girl in Niagara as a way for me to showcase the beautiful Niagara region where I live, but that felt superficial and unfulfilling. After my mom passed away a few years ago, I realized I found more creative fulfilment in sharing the beauty and joy of our journey here on earth, thus Life with Alegria was born, inspired by her. She always called me her joy. Alegria means joy, and it is my belief that we can all live life with joy, yes, even though the world seems to be going mad, and even though we may have 99 problems on any given day.

2. If your blog was a person (fiction or real), who would it be?

Do I have to pick just one person? Like Vicki, I too am inspired by so many great individuals who brought great creations to life. People as diverse as Nikola Tesla, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Vincent Van Gogh. However if my blog was a person, her name would be Alegria. Joy personified. Not the kind of woman that looks at life with rose coloured glasses, but one that acknowledges the dark side and has chosen the opposite.

“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” She said to the devil, while wearing her pink sunglasses. If you’re singing that line to the Taylor Swift song, good. I added the devil part. 😂

3. What helps you create new content if you feel like you need some inspiration?

My inspiration jar is always full. I make notes of thoughts as they come to me, and I find I need to be entirely alone and quiet to fund that purpose. I am however, often with people, in person or virtually. I struggle with finding the time to actually blog on a regular basis. Often because I give my time to the people and creative endeavours that matter to me. I have no regrets. I believe that time is love and where you pour your energy is where love blooms.

My content however includes tapping into the wonders of nature and humanity. Finding the magic and joy that surrounds us and exploring the art of noticing the little details, in people, in places, in our emotions, and sometimes in the simplest of things. I’m definitely inspired by reading some of your blogs. Always food for thought.

4. Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

I’m grateful to be collaborating with wise women Vicki and Wynne on Sharing the Heart of the Matter (HotM). I write a post there once a month. It is my belief that we all have so much to share and we can all learn something from someone else. Collaboration is a generous tool that allows us to create beautiful things, build onto other’s ideas, and solve conflicts. True collaboration takes an open mind and a willing heart.

Collaboration is a big word, but one that often includes the requirement of a win/win no matter the context.

You’ve probably heard of Eliyahu Goldratt. His quote from his book The Choice, is a powerful one that has stayed with me for many years. And one that I have shared with my students when discussing collaboration in conflict resolution.

“ I smile and start to count on my fingers: One, people are good. Two every conflict can be removed. Three, every situation, no matter how complex it initially looks, is exceedingly simple. Four, every situation can be substantially improved; even the sky is not the limit. Five, every person can reach a full life. Six, there is always a win-win solution. Shall I continue to count?”

– The Choice by Eli Goldratt and Efrat Goldratt-Ashlag

5. Is there anything more you wish you had or would like to learn as a blogger?

There are always ways to improve and learn. I don’t take blogging as seriously as perhaps I should and thus do the best I can with the time that I dedicate to it. As Pete said in his blog, if it feels like work I’d rather not do it. This is my kinda fun.

What I’d like to build even more here is a community of bloggers who enjoy thought provoking content. I really enjoy people with depth, but who are also fun. We can’t take ourselves too seriously either. Life is most certainly a balance.

I do get a fair amount of traffic, thanks to Google, on the places I’ve written about. Though those readers are outside of WP and therefore most often, don’t leave comments. Engaging with you is high on my priority list as a reason for doing this. And therefore I look forward to your comments and messages. Some great connections have been built thanks to this blog.

Blogging is my creative writing outlet, I’d love to learn how to marry my professional self to my blog, but then again, do we have to? As part of a whole, aren’t we multi faceted, and therefore enjoy exploring all the sides of ourselves, in different ways?

6. Do you have a specific style of blogging?

I very much enjoy sharing stories and experiences that provide inspiration, motivation or exploration. Writing descriptively, I like to bring you along with me to experience the moment and feel the feeling, and then I enjoy understanding your perspective.

I also love making YouTube videos, a visual style of blogging, to further express myself creatively. Though it takes a considerable amount of time, and thus I haven’t created a new long form video in a long time. However, if you’d like to explore my channel, here’s the link https://www.youtube.com/lifewithalegria

Tag You’re It. Pass it on.

Here are some of the blogs I’d like to tag. People who I find incredibly inspiring. I won’t tag those who’ve already written, like fabulous Vicki. A completely voluntary process of course, no pressure. All wise bloggers, who I very much enjoy reading. A couple who haven’t been around for a while, but let’s try.

Wynne Leon

Susan Hart

Jan Reid

V J Knutson

Beth

Steffi Neumann

Margie

Jo

There are so many more. I hope you’ll join in. And also share your own joyful stories in my Journey to Joy Series.