Interviewing Myself About My Social Media Journey

A few people have been asking me questions lately about my Social Media journey, and what empowered me to start being active in this whole new way of communicating to the world instantly. Well, here are questions that I am going to be interviewing myself with:

1. How many years have you been active in Social Media?

In May of 2000, I joined AsianAvenue.com, Black Planet, Migente all around that time. Which is about 15 years and almost 2 months, that I have been active, then couple of years later, I joined Myspace.

2. How did you educate yourself in Social Media?

When I began to be educated on what Social Media really is. I began writing, changing my layout of my pages in Asian Avenue, Migente, Black Planet and Myspace. I had hours of fun changing pictures, writing short stories, shout-outs to people, putting avatars, symbols HTML, Style CSS codes. That is when I began to really enjoy myself, and then that is where I launched myself into the Internet world.

3. What was your very first Blog Site to write in? (+ Other sites)

LiveJournal was my first website that I started to write in, then I went to Blogger from Google. Now in present day, I have been on WordPress the longest.

4. What have you been through to get this far to Social Media today?

Well, as a lot of people in Social Media and blogging begin to think in the beginning, ask a lot of questions and inquire on How are people going to engage into my postings? How Can I get out there to be noticed? What do I need to do to be successful? Well, I went through so much to get to where I am today. I began to do extensive research online about how to attract readers, and amongst how to get through the challenging aspects of it all. I then began to learn to tag my posts, so it can be seen by so many people, then I began asking questions and getting feedback from others who are in the same boat as me and who have gone through it all. Soon after I began to get comfortable with it all, I was in a whole new world of communication. It was not easy. For months I did not receive any comments, readers, and those who were engaging into my site. So I put it into action and began to make friends all over the internet, and then my journey officially began.

5. What would you say was the most struggling aspect of your Social Media Journey. Does it still apply to you in present day?

Well, the most struggling aspect of social media, is that right now there is just so many bloggers, so many people in social media and they all want practically the same thing. To be noticed, for people to engage, share, like, and comment on posts. I must say the getting noticed part is the most difficult aspect of it all and which audience you want your content to be available to.

6. Does your family and friends support you in your journey through Social Media?

Yes, definitely. Without the support, foundation from my family and friends, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I wouldn’t be here conducting this interview for myself. I thank them very much for standing behind in what I love to do, what I am pursuing in all of this, and as well as inspiring the world with my writings, talents and so much more.

7. What do you like to write about?

I like to write about various things such as travel, tips, advice, inspiring stories, stories that have happened to me, promoting others, recipes, causes, and much more.

8. Did you ever have writers block?

Yes, several times. Sometimes as a writer, My mind freezes up and do not have anymore capacity in my brain to come up with new topics, and what to do next. Then after a few days go by, things start coming back to me, and begin to write again.

9. What advice do you have for aspiring and up and coming social media activists?

Just to take your time with social media. Do not rush into getting so much viewership, and engaged readers. It takes time to establish yourself. Well, not all the time. Also to always make sure your site is searchable, to add keywords, tag posts and engage in other peoples social media journey as well.

 

 

The Purpose of Blogging – Why do we do it?

In the past few blog posts with the subject of communication and along the lines of what is relative to that, the way we feel, how we get our words and points across to the world and how we do it to reach out to others, and to share with the world our points of view, opinions, suggestions, to raise awareness on issues, to advertise, promote, social issues, recipes, tips, organizational ideas, simplifying life and so much more. We all have our own perspective and our own purpose when blogging and writing about our life. The question is why do we do it? Why do we spend time with writing? Why do we post our blog entries?

To answer those questions is quite simple. We all have a voice and existence in this world and there is just so many stories, journeys, experiences, moments, memories, being helpful, useful and beneficial information about life, travel, food, the holidays, situations, issues to address to the world and things that happen to us to share, to give our insight, and so much more. We spend time writing is because it gives us a boost, and the most important thing is how we feel, and how we want to communicate to the world. Blogging is a therapeutic yet rewarding feeling. It is like writing in our diary, but a virtual diary that we want to post public. We post blog entries to contribute something, an idea and something to share with the world.

Now with this being a virtual diary, there comes responsibility and thinking before we press the post button. There are private issues and things that should not be published of real private matters in ones home, in ones personal life. back in the day and maybe until now people have a personal and private diary, and I am sure you do not want certain people to open it up and unlock your diary of real personal things that you do not want people to see, its almost like the same thing with public blogging. You do not want to post private matters for the world to see, so always be mindful and think before you post something so personal.

Never keep your blogging private. It defeats the whole purpose of writing and expressing to the world. If you want to keep some of your writings private, make a diary, and keep it for yourself in hiding, but hiding a blog is pointless. Somehow no matter how private a blog is, somehow it can always be seen in a way.

Never stop blogging, never stop writing and most importantly never lose your purpose and perspective on why you started blogging in the first place. Never give up what you enjoy doing, never ever let anybody tell you to stop doing what you are good at. Well, nobody is perfect, however that should not define anything. You are in control of your own destiny, your own goals you want to attain from blogging and writing to the world. Remember you do not have to be a perfect blogger, its how you feel and what you want to accomplish. The beauty of blogging is something that is indescribable and the future of journal writing which is now.

So, what is your purpose? Why do you do it?

Communication Style – What is your Type?

As we go through life from the moment we are born, communication is and will always be a vital asset in our day-to-day lives. We need communication when we speak to our family members, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, partners, groups, friends, colleagues, our bosses, fellow students, teachers, traveling, in social media, sending e-mails and so many different types of communication.

I attended a seminar “Inspire For Tomorrow” at my Armenian Community center and it was about communication, and I learned so much in a couple of hours. It put things into a new perspective, it gave me new light, new ways to deliver our speech, our stories, and so much more. There are several ways you can communicate, but here are 4 styles of communication, that I have observed in my life and my thoughts on it all:

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– The Driver — Someone who is direct, to the point, detail oriented, who speaks their mind, who produces results, attaining goals, gets into competitive situations, taking charge and being in control, wasting no time to beat around the bush.

– The Relater — Someone who cares about a situation, who can connect with others by thinking of the other person first, who’s relationships and friendships mean the world to a person, someone who is relaxed, and feel cared for, becoming silent, introspective and withdrawn, being helpful, coinciding with others, comforting others.

– Analyst — One who always seeks data, second guesses people, making decisions after analyzing a situation, testing people, giving people to focus on interpersonal and communication skills, those who despise making mistakes, double-checking everything, not being able to trust situations and people until doing further research on a person.

– Expresser — Someone who recognizes emotions, who expresses feelings, and what that person wants to say, the over sharing person who keeps on talking, and beats around the bush, making a small story into a big one, gets excited, giving feedback, boring people because of overusing communication, explaining ideas to the core then saying things out of turn which then makes it into an argument and problems can arise of sharing too much information.

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All those 4 styles have good and the bad, but we must find a way to be consistent when we communicate with others, using the right tone, words, following up with someone privately about something that you feel is gone wrong, not announcing it in a public, group setting, taking up issues with the person directly, instead of involving others in the mix. People will appreciate it when someone brings the other person to the side and discuss with them a problem, situation or something going on, then finding a solution to the problem, solving whatever issue, and finding the right words, tone to express those feelings.

We must always think about how we are going to present ourselves, no matter where you are, whether it is about self-regard, being assertive, emotional self-awareness, self-actualization, independence. It could be a beautiful thing, but it is in the way we utilize it all.

Communication is a never-ending learning process, and nobody is perfect and makes mistakes, however to always learn from them and progressing to do better, to improve in relationships, friendships, is something that is imperative. If you believe you have made a mistake, do not worry, focus on the future and make it better, improve the way you speak to others, always ask for advice, always have a mentor, someone whom you can talk to a person whom you can trust if you are unsure of how to deal with a situation if you are unsure yourself. It is always good to ask, then to stay silent.

Always be confident, express your ideas to others, be in communication, always tell a person how you feel about something without offending them. There is always a way to go around it. How do you normally handle situations that are presented to you? What have you learned from it all?

Why is communicating and expressing yourself so important? Everyone has a voice, everyone has something to contribute to the world, that is why everyday in technology, and things of the world are being invented, new innovations, new concepts, context, perspectives, theories, discoveries are being made across the world, because many people communicate, and want to get out what they feel is right for the benefit of the world and its people. Each one of us can make a difference in this world, and communication is one of them and we begin just doing that. Without that everyone would not have a voice and this world cannot continue to move forward. That is exactly why Communication is key and so important in our daily life.

So no matter how we express ourselves, the most important thing is the way we do it and a way where it will not hurt others, and where we can find common ground with everything in our lives.

How do you communicate? What is important to you to get across to others? Best wishes to you in your journey. We can all do something positive, say great things and to avoid messy situations, by just changing our tone and the way we communicate.

Never Apologize for The Way You Feel

A lot of the times in life we go through many feelings, emotions, and sometimes we tend to apologize for what we are feeling and telling people our emotions. You have every right to feel what you are feeling, You never have to explain yourself to anybody. Never be ashamed of your feelings. I know they say that you have to express your feelings everytime and tell people exactly how you feel, however sometimes you cannot control feelings, you cannot explain the way you feel due to a certain situation. I know no matter what you have to tell someone how you feel, and not keep anything inside of you, but some circumstances say otherwise. It depends on the person and whom you can confide into easily.

If you keep on living your life on other peoples terms and the way they want you to feel, the way they want you to live your life always telling you what to do, forcing, commanding you to do something is not somebody you want to associate with. Find the path and the people who can relate to you, do what you feel is right for you. Sometimes you need to get out from the norm, and do what is best for you. If you keep on living your life to please others, to always try and impress others, to always keep proving yourself and working hard for other peoples approval, you are not going to get anywhere in life and all you are going to do is just live for other people.

Sometimes you need to put your foot down and say, okay enough is enough. People talk so much about you and your life, gossip, spread rumors, put words in your mouth and what you should do with your life, however sometimes people need to look at themselves in the mirror first before they point fingers, criticize and belittle you. Some people have nothing better to do, than talk smack about other people, when they need to sort out their life and what they need to do. Remember nobody full knows you and about your personal life and what you are going through, and you never have to explain yourself to nobody.

Ignore people who talk so much bogus about you, and ignore people and block them out of your life. Life is too short. Be happy, be you, live your life on your own terms and your own comfort, and do not worry about anything else. People are always going to judge and point fingers. Don’t let it affect you and your life, well-being and who you are. True, compassionate and understanding people will be there for you every step of the way without explaining yourself. Remember others opinions of you, do no matter. Its how you make an opinion of yourself that matters. As long as you feel good about yourself and bring yourself up with good thoughts, confidence, the way you are is what matters the most.

People will always do and say mean things, but never let that take control of yourself.

I have realized a lot of things in the last little while, that you cannot expect people to understand you, your feelings and be on the same page as you, not everybody will be your friend and agree with you. I recommend that people should never stop being themselves, be who you are, feel what you want to feel. In the end we are all human beings in this world, we do make mistakes, we do wrong in social issues, we tend to sometimes associate with people whom we always have to try to fit in, do things to stay in the loop, however you never need to try to fit in, try so hard, and try to stand out, because there will be people who will appreciate you for you and there will be people who will love and cherish you and the memories shared and will share in the present and the future.

Wishing you the best with everything and remember never apologize for the way you feel. Always be thankful and just go on with life. There is only so much you can do and life will never give you more than you can handle.

The Benefits of Writing and Blogging in Social Media

All of us in this life have something special and incredible to contribute to this world, and whatever it is, each and everyone of us are gifted with something great. In this day in age with social media, blogging, writing and contributing to the digital world with our thoughts, words, feelings, emotions, issues, and other things is something so fabulous and the rewarding feeling of stepping out to social media and the benefits from it all is something that some people do not realize what an impact an individual puts on other people reading and engaging into peoples blog sites.

There are people always searching for something, and it is quite easy to get to a website/blog that has the topics that person is looking for when blogs are put as public and visible to search engines which I recommend people do, because what is the point of writing a blog to keep it private? I truly believe that when you sign up to write a blog, it is imperative to post it as public. There can be people reading the blog and then offer insight, comments, recipes, interests, music, about family, friendships, world issues, topics, hobbies, health, love, organization ideas, notes, tips, travel and so much more. You just need to moderate comments coming to your blog and everything will be alright.

The benefits of writing and blogging is something that is very important to me and my life. I have been writing for 12 years now, and so many articles written for my local community, for websites, for other social media sites among my WordPress blog of course. I saw so many benefits from it from not only engaging into other peoples blogs, and following people, but it makes the world a much smaller place and easy to interact and reach out to other people.

You do not need to be the perfect writer, or have the most perfect blog, you do not need to be 100% in your Blog writings, it is however you feel the need to write your blog and how you know it, how you want to express yourself to other people. Just make sure that your blog and what you write is something that you should always be careful and think about before pressing the submit, send, post button. Also with Social Media comes the social responsibility of the content we post, and what to post. Always use your discretion and if you are unsure about posting something, do not post it.

Enjoy your blogging journey, take in the benefits. You never know who stops by your blog, it can be someone famous, professors, preachers, and whoever is looking for information, inspiration, positivity, or whatever their heart desires. It is an amazing journey to go through. Even if you cannot blog everyday, no matter how many times you write, its amazing. There is no time limit or rules. Besides you make your own rules when it comes to your blog, but like I said use disrection and make wise decisions on what to post, and you will see the benefits soaring and you will see a whole new world to social media and blogging.

We are all in this together, we all have something to contribute and to share around the world. We all have different perspectives, opinions, suggestions, advice, feelings, emotions and so much more to give. Once we join social media, blogging, and the virtual/digital world, we can always do something fabulous with it, make a difference in this world and making everyone welcome to it. It is the way we handle it and the way we control it.

Blogging is a beautiful and incredible thing. Thank you to my fans, supporters, family, friends and so many others. Without my readers, blogging would not be possible. So again I say thank you.

Just have fun with it, do what you do, and enjoy the benefits of your social media journey through blogging and much more. many best wishes to you all.

Blogging is Great – What Do You Use It For?

On the internet there are several hundreds of thousands of blogs that are written with many subjects, topics, issues, hobbies, interests, health, wealth, business, technology and so much more. Blogging is a great way to express ones thoughts, feelings, introduce a person, products, or other things, and share with the world the content we want to whether they are success stories, whether they talk about a persons personal health issues, or something along the lines of everything we want a blog to be. You don’t have to write a big story everyday, it can be anything you want it to be, but also keep in mind that to be careful what you post. As long as it is something that does not offend or target one person, and make the reader feel that you are generalizing, then that is the way to go. Blogging is something great and I congratulate those who have them. It is something so great to see and I love reading blogs, and I enjoy learning so much from so many people. It makes the world go around.

I am so glad to see people engaging into social media and blogging is one of them where you can actually read and feel a persons life and persons opinions, suggestions, and advice they give to people who are looking for the information they want to. What do you use blogging for? What are your thoughts on blogging? Why is it so important to you?  Blogging is a great way for communication and for people to take what they have off their chest and their backs to just go on and write about it and share it to the world. I do it all the time and it feels great to do it. What are you accomplishing by blogging everyday or whenever possible? I am sure all of us have our own reasons, personal reasons, to raise awareness on issues and things and whatever we want them to be right? I guess it depends on it person by person. I love it when I see so many people, meet so many people and just enjoy this world of social media we live in. I bet without social media and communications that are instant these days, we wouldn’t be communicating with people from all continents.

The internet and blogging has made the world smaller and made social media and communicating a whole lot easier. It is a great tool to work with and its a great world out there with so many different people with difference of opinions and suggestions and advice.  I wish you all the best and keep on blogging 🙂

I Hope to Meet My Brothers and Sisters of RADIO AGA Soon…

In Early 2009, I joined this wonderful website and Radio Station Family, Called Radio AGA. AGA Stands from Armenian, Greek and Arabic, and those are the types of music this wonderful Radio Station plays. Our Founder and Brother of Radio AGA Jack Kojek, is an incredible person, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting a few times since then. He is a vibrant, energetic, and wonderful person and I wish him continued success with everything he does.

I have met many of my brothers and sisters of RADIO AGA, but I have yet to meet so many others from parts of US, Canada, Europe and all other places. Too many to mention. We have established a community to chat with each other on the wall on the Facebook page with over 7,000 members. Recently, I have not been able to be as active as I have been on the discussions, but I try to get on there as much as I am able to. I love my Radio AGA Family and I do not want them to think that I have forgotten about them, which I certainly have not. They are beautiful people I have spoken with online and we have become great friends. I am hoping to one day cross paths with them and meet each other face to face to create more memories. It is very awesome to meet people you speak to for a long time and actually meet them. Its an emotional moment. I had that last summer when I visited Montreal for a Summer Fest party. It was a special moment that I will never forget.

Radio AGA has become an important and integral part of my life. When I thought I didn’t have friends, they definitely made a big difference in my life, gave me so much hope, faith, love, and thats how I have become more positive and optimistic about life. I have so much to be thanful for, God works in Mysterious ways to get me to people whom I call My brothers and sisters.

I know probably some of you will not understand Armenian, Greek and Arabic music, but if you like to join our family on RADIO AGA and tune in to listen to the beats, and rythyms, feel free to do so. You will automatically be part of our Family in our RADIO Community. All are welcome.

Go to www.radioaga.com Like Facebook Page: RADIO AGA

Enjoy…