Full disclosure, I hate talking about myself. I believe my actions speak louder than words, and every moment I spend writing is time not spent doing. Yet, here I am contemplating my first ever blog post. Research tells me that this first entry should explain who I am, and tell you why I am writing this blog. Truth is...I don't know why I am writing this blog. I think it is simply because society tells me I should, and I struggle with curbing my own vanity. Is this a good start? Does this sound like something you want to read? 'Cause here we go...
Hi! I am Christina Hollerbach and I'm going to talk about myself today. As previously stated, this is hard for me. So I thought the best way to tell you about me is to describe who I want to be, and I'll let you determine how much of that I actually accomplish. I've thought about this extensively and I have summarized my top ten adjectives and prioritized them for your viewing pleasure.
10. Sincere
Before we can even get into any of my chosen descriptors, it is essential that all of the words on the list honestly are who I am at my core. This word means I am who I am, and I want to confidently be the things I set out to be all the time. You can't fake sincerity, it's a commitment to your identity.
9. Silly
I never want to lose the ability to be a goof. It feels so free and fun to let loose and be strange. Making myself laugh and laughing with others is a beautiful feeling that I strive for everyday. Finding a way to be an observer of your own circumstances and laugh at it every once in awhile is important for mental health.
8. Musical
Even as I write this, I had to pause from typing and sing my favorite part of this song. I find so much joy from music. Whether I am singing, playing or listening; It is a beautiful and universal form of communication that unites us all. I like singing songs about making beverages...I don't know why.
7. Trustworthy
I want to be the kind of person that you can count on. It's that simple. Everything you build is on a foundation of trust. From things as benign as my hairdresser cutting my hair or as important as a vow to spend a life with someone. It is all based in trust, and I want that part of my character to be resolute.
6. Industrious
This word comes directly for John Wooden's pyramid for success. He considers this a cornerstone because no matter what you want in life, you will never achieve any of them without actually putting in the work. I think about this constantly and do my best to utilize my time to make my actions meet my intentions.
5. Intelligent
This word can mean different things to different people. I would broadly describe Intelligence as a continued love of learning and the ability to retain and apply the things you learn. "And you can take that to the bank." (Bonus points if anyone knows what movie that quote came from)
4. Creative
This is hard to define in the realm of personality descriptors. The dictionary describes it as "marked by the power to create." I hate when dictionaries use the root word of a word to describe that word. hehe. I think of Creativity to mean that you are a Producer. Being Creative is about producing things that come from you. Those things can be art or projects or theories, but they originated from you.
3. Communicative
You made it to the top 3! You can embody all the things I have discussed successfully, but if you can't communicate with others about those things, then it is all for naught. Learning to communicate with every perceived reality in the world (aka every single person is different) is the most challenging part of existence. I could go on and on about this topic, and it will play heavily in continued posts.
2. Kind
I want to be kind. It is not always easy. This is the biggest struggle that my brain has but something I work at everyday. Not just to be outwardly kind, but even just the thoughts in my head. Taking time to treat adversity with sympathy and seeing thing's from another's point of view can be very powerful.
1. Mindful
This is the number one trait for me. Mindfulness is everything. It is being constantly self-reflective and making adjustments and searching to achieve awareness. It is being present in the moment while simultaneously using the past to help form a better future. Mindfulness is life.
Are you familiar with six word memoirs? Straight from their site:
"Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” In November 2006, Larry Smith, founder of SMITH Magazine, gave the six-word novel a personal twist by asking his community to describe their lives in exactly six words.
Since then, Six-Word Memoir project has become a global phenomenon. "
So, the best way to sum up my first blog is with my six word memoir which has been many years in the making.