Turn Your Mess into Your Message
How can you turn your mess into your message?
The Mess of problems or trials and tribulations could be found in any area of our lives.
You could be going through a divorce, going through cancer, going through weight loss, or it could be something as simple as teaching your kid how to go potty. Really, it could be just about anything! But then again, if you’ve gone through challenges in life and found ideas to overcome each hurdle, you could take those lessons and teach those who are going through the same trials. You could turn it into a carreer by becoming a coach, or an author, conducting training and mentoring people on how to get through difficulties in life.
You may think that your challenges in life may not mean anything to most and it may not positively affect some. However, no matter how small or big your challenges are, there are many out there who are going through the same tough times like you and when you share your thoughts and problems to others, not only do you relieve yourself from the burden of having to carry your struggles, you also make others realize that they are not alone.
Sure, you could doubt yourself and say that you’re not in any way an expert at life and that you have no Ph.D. in counseling but good news! Times have changed. Nowadays, if people want to learn something or if they want to overcome a challenge, usually they don’t go out and look for people who have a qualified degree in that subject. All they want is a person who they trust, who’s “been there and done that”, and most importantly, someone who has genuine intentions in helping people.
If I want to learn anything, for example, if I want to learn how to set up a website, I don’t necessarily have to hire an agency to teach me. Instead, I can call up a friend who has done it before and get some pieces of advice from them! The way people think nowadays has become even more progressive as we start to turn to practical ways of finding solutions quickly and more effectively. Relying on people with certificates and degrees seems less and less now and most prefer to connect with human beings who have seen the worst but have been through it all and who are kind enough to share their journey.
Many people have been practicing a particular profession for twenty-five to thirty years and suddenly, they would have met with an accident and that could be the turning point in their life. They would have started living a healthier and meaningful life. They want to probably teach meditation and turn it into a career to help people get rid of their stress factors. That’s how life changes or rather, begins. Newton’s first law of motion states, “An object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” Never undermine all the challenges that you’ve been through. Go back and remember those days when you were in the darkest hole, try to discover your message through the experiences you’ve had. Your Ups and Downs can be your tool to success and similarly, it can be a tool used to drive and encourage others to succeed. And what better way to turn your mess to your message than by writing about it? You could write a book, such as a memoir or be more creative and tell a fictional story about a young hero overcoming adversity. Writing your feelings down is proven to be stress-releasing. It is a great way to move forward. By writing your problems down, you will be able to see things clearly and for you to be able to share your thoughts, your ideas and the way you see things clearly, you will be able to help someone who is lost and looking for advice. Not a piece of professional advice but advice from someone who’s been through it, too. Someone who can relate.
It’s evident that we now live in a postmodern society where people thrive in mindful communication. Young minds have been shifted and seem to truly believe in the phrase “Sharing is loving”. Not in a material sense, but through words. So, even if you don’t believe you’re an expert but have gone through so much in life and have been successful in overcoming each obstacle, you will have so many powerful stories to tell, enough to make others’ burden easier to carry. You could be anyone, a teacher, a student, a housewife or a single parent, if you feel that you have a message you think will bring forth positivity, share it with the world, it matters. Turn your mess into your message.
4 Levels of Thought Leadership
Thought Leaders are common in this day and age. You can see them everywhere! However, what makes them a Thought Leader? And how do you find them?
A Thought Leader is somebody who is considered as an authority or expert in their industry. People look up to them and respect their views and opinions. They go out and speak on stage. They are Influencers with a huge social media following. These are the kinds of people who are considered as a Thought Leader.
However, that is the common perception of what a Thought Leader is. I, on the other hand, look at it slightly differently.
I believe that most of us here are Thought Leaders at some level or the other but, we fail to realize that. When was the last time you posted something on Facebook? And when was the last time you made a comment on Instagram? Whenever we share our views with the world, we are sharing our thoughts. That, itself, can make you a Thought Leader. The only difference is the level at which you are playing this game.
So what are these 4 levels of Thought Leadership?
Level 4: Social Media Posts
A Level 4 Thought Leader is online constantly, getting themselves updated on the latest trends, posting views about what they think is right and wrong. Social media has made it so easy to voice out people’s opinions that anyone with a smartphone can just log in and talk about a certain topic that interests them. That’s what makes social media so powerful. It is the way it allows people to connect using their thoughts. And this is what makes all of us Thought Leaders
Level 3: Blog, Video, Podcast
The next level of Thought Leadership is about individuals who are taking their thoughts seriously. They compose lengthy blogs and post it on their website or another platform and similar mediums where blogs are considered valuable. They create and post videos that are longer and in-depth, and they probably do podcasts, too! They might even have a community of followers! These people, in my opinion, are Level 3 Thought Leaders.
Level 2: Webinar Seminar
Being a Level 2 Thought Leader is when an individual takes time and the effort in creating valuable content for a set of audience who aren’t just casually watching their videos or reading their blogs.
A Level 2 Thought Leader hosts webinars! This way, they are able to build personal relationships and have real-time conversations. By doing this, they would be able to inspire people to explore the highlights of a certain topic and help gain rich insights.
This can also happen offline in real events. Others would go on stage, book themselves as a speaker and share their ideas about a certain topic to a specific audience who are dedicated to learning from them.
Level 1: Book
The ultimate way to establish your Thought Leadership is through a book. It is not an easy feat as it requires commitment and effort. A level 2 Thought Leader may already know tons about a certain topic though they may not take the time to structure all their ideas and compile it in the form of a book. That’s what makes authors stand out from other types of Thought Leaders.
Experts write books!
A Level 1 Thought Leader writes and publishes something on a subject that is important to them, allowing themselves to express their creativity or share their expert advice and teachings with others who, in return, can have and bring with them for the rest of their lives.
Many new opportunities will open up once you establish yourself as a Level 1 Thought Leader and the best way to do it is through writing a book.