THEmollybuckley. Jesus. love. nerdy whatnot. Diet Coke. burritos. and comedy bits.
  • scissors
    March 15th, 2011Molly BuckleyEvents n' happenins', Personal

    So, remember how I told you guys there’s a lot going on? And that big stuff is happening? Well, everything is starting to finally fall into place.

    Here’s a little background: one Sunday this past October, Pastor Benji showed a slideshow of a mission trip that New Hope had taken that Summer to Kiria, Kenya. Kiria is a small village located at the base of the Aberdare Mountains, which is approximately 40 miles northeast of Nairobi and approximately 100 miles south of the equator. New Hope has sort of “adopted” this village and continues to support it financially throughout the year. Just looking at the pictures of the trip and hearing about the relationships that were created, the service work that was done, and just the amazing things that the church was doing, I knew that I wanted to be a part of that.

    I have always wanted to go on a service trip. In college I remember trying to get an “alternative Spring Break” mission trip together a couple times, but just couldn’t gather the money and resources to make it happen. I was looking for the right opportunity and the right place to go.

    I have a passion for loving on and helping people, learning about and experiencing other cultures, and sharing in my faith. It’s not about going into someone else’s culture and imposing rich American philosophies – it’s about immersing yourself in their culture, learning, listening, and really opening your eyes to something different. It’s also about being there as a resource and helping hand.

    So, when I heard that New Hope was going back to the village this Summer, I knew that I was being called to go.

    From July 28th – August 6th (that’s THIS SUMMER!) I’ll be going. The deposit is paid, the commitment form is in, and I am going.

    What am I going to be doing there? Well, in addition to fellowshipping and doing life with the Kenyans, a majority of our time will be spent digging trenches for water distribution lines, building and repairing roads, constructing a concrete pad for water tanks, building and fixing church and school furniture, assisting in the teaching of school classes, and providing medical services where needed.

    Okay, so some of you are probably thinking, “Molly is going on a mission trip? THIS summer?” I could probably come up with a list of reasons why I shouldn’t go (life/work/time/money). There’s a myriad of excuses I could use to not go. However, the truth is, I keep coming back to the one reason why I should and ultimately want to go – God loves people and so do I. Going wasn’t a hard decision. When it comes down to it, Jesus laid out a pretty simple religion for us: Love God, love others, and love ourselves. My point exactly. Deciding to go is easy. Paying for it however, is the real challenge.

    To be totally honest, I don’t have $3,500 just sitting in my bank account. So here’s where I do something I never do: I ask for money. I would love it and be so appreciative if you could support my mission trip with a donation. A little, a lot, really anything is helpful.

    The other thing you can do to help is to pray. As much as God and the church love mission trips, not everyone else does. And there are definitely going to be challenges along the way. So your thoughts and prayers are really appreciated. If you’d like to know more about the trip, I’d be happy to tell you more about it. Just let me know. I’d love to talk about it.

    I will, of course, be blogging about my experiences before and after the trip. I would say that I would be blogging during the trip, but the odds of having a solid and/or reliable internet connection in the small village of Kiria, Kenya are not high.

    I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. Thank you guys for everything.

    All for now.

     

    Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    March 13th, 2011Molly BuckleyPersonal, Stuff n' things

    That’s right. I said it. I’m a LOSER. A loser of WEIGHT, that is.

    In getting back to my old blogging habits, I try to write about things that are on my mind, things that I’m working on, things that I’m going through at this particular moment, etc… because A) It helps me to organize my thoughts, B) If I’m struggling with something, it helps me to work through it, and C) There’s a part of me that hopes someone else who just so happens to come across this little blog can identify with whatever I’m writing about and learn something / gain something / or even add their own two cents in the comments.

    before the Shamrock N' Run 5K in Feb. 2011

    My weight has always been something that I have struggled with and been self-conscious about. Do I think I’m fat? No. Do I wish I were a size 6? Yes. I’m short, I have wide hips, and those (infamous?) genetic “Buckley Buns”. I have been a size 10 since high school – again, it’s those darned hips of mine. I digress.

    Over the last few years, I’ve found myself in this new era of “Molly wanting to get healthy and exercise.” I was never a runner – in fact, I was a terrible runner, sort of still am. But I set out to become a runner, and I’ve half-way accomplished that. I ran the Tar Heel 10-miler for my first race, the New Jersey Long Branch Half-Marathon, and a couple of 5Ks posting relatively okay times. I’m not ever going to be the speediest, but trust me, if I can run, so can you. I’m signed up to run the Tar Heel 10-miler again this year, but right now a bit of a knee injury is standing in my way. GAH. Again, I digress.

    I started running to accomplish a goal, but mostly I hoped that running would help me shed those pounds I have so desperately wanted to lose. There was a point last year in which I was running 20-30 miles a week, yet I wasn’t losing weight. I was feeling better, but I hated what the scale said. Then I got injured and stopped running. Working at a desk all day doesn’t really allow for much exercise and frankly, I hate scales, so I stopped weighing myself. To be completely honest, I noticed I had gained weight, but didn’t think much of it.

    Then I received my wake-up call. I was hanging out at my friend Laura’s house one night right after the 1st of the year. Went to the bathroom and noticed she had a scale in her bathroom – so I thought, hmm, I wonder… I got on the scale and saw a number I never in a million years would have thought I would see. [Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not going to tell you what that number was. It was that bad.]

    I immediately knew that I had to get my act together.

    Rejoined the YMCA the next day and re-evaluated my situation. Where had I gone wrong? What could I do to fix this? This needs to be a lifestyle change, not some fad-New-Years-Resolution.

    Since then, I have been working out 6, sometimes 7 days a week, I quit drinking Diet Coke (which is HUGE for me, if you know me at all), and stopped eating after 8pm (with a few exceptions here or there). I’m not on a “diet.” I’m simply more aware of what I’m putting into my body. Since January, I have lost 16.2 pounds total. I had actually lost closer to 17/18 but I’ve hit that dreaded plateau period right now. I still have at least another 10-15 pounds to go to get to a place I’d be comfortable with, but I’d really like to lose another 15-20.

    I have a couple things to thank for my progress so far. One, my BF :) . He’s such a workout fiend that it’s been nice to have him to motivate me to go to the gym. On days he doesn’t want to go to the gym, I do, so I make him. On days I don’t want to go to the gym, he does, so he makes me. We don’t really workout together, but to have someone else there to keep you honest really helps. I can’t emphasize that enough.

    This is my calorie intake for the last week.

    The other is LoseIt.com. I actually had discovered the iPhone App FIRST before I discovered the website. I can’t speak highly enough about it. It’s a FREE app, and 100% worth it. Don’t worry, if you don’t have an iPhone, you can sign up for free on their website, too. I’ll be honest, it takes a few days of getting into the habit of using it, but once you get comfortable, that’s exactly what it becomes: habit. Basically it’s a place to fill in all of your “vitals” and set up your goals and weight loss plan – it then gives you the tools and resources you need. You log all of your food and exercise and it calculates your daily calories. It even has restaurants and supermarket food loaded in there for you to search – and yes, it even has Chipotle. You’d be surprised as to how many calories some things are.

    I haven’t stopped eating things I love, I’ve just learned that it’s all about balance and moderation. Plus, I get a free pass with fruits and veggies – those calories don’t count. I mean, who ever got fat from eating too many tomatoes or too many celery sticks? NO ONE. Anywho, If I go over my calorie intake one day, then I make sure I’m under the next. (It also factors in your exercise as negative calories).

    The LoseIt.com website also has message boards / forums where you can make friends and get advice on recipes, exercises, and general weight loss. The people on there are super supportive and really help you along the way.

    I know, I’ve entered my own nerdy weight loss world, but it’s okay. This is the exact type of thing someone like myself needs. OH, and you can even set up motivators to remind yourself throughout the day to log your food.

    Anyway, I share all of this extremely personal stuff because I know that this isn’t something only I struggle with. I’m really not in this for the temporary, drop 10 pounds gain back 30 deal… I really want to finally achieve that goal I have so longed for. I’ve accepted that I’m never going to be a size 6 and look like Heidi Klum, but I know that I can feel better about the way that I look.

    I will be blogging periodically about my progress – mainly for the purposes of keeping myself honest. But will you guys help to keep me honest? I do have to say, seeing that line go down makes me very happy…

    my LoseIt.com weight chart where I can track my progress

    Also, if any of you out there have gone through / are going through / thinking about going through something similar, I’d love some advice. I’d love to hear your struggles, challenges, and triumphs. Share your stories. Share your tips.

    Love you guys.

    All for now.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    November 14th, 2009Molly BuckleyGet Wordy

    GET WORDY, y’all. This is a new segment of my blog (hooray for new segments!). Since I was an English major in college and I taught high school English for two years, I love vocabulary. In school, I looked forward to making a gazillion vocab flashcards. Honestly, I LOVE words. So, I’ve decided to call this segment GET WORDY where I feature a word of the day/week/month/year that I am currently using, want to start using, or have made up. Yes, I like to make up words, too. I’m an improviser, making stuff up is what I do.

    Today’s Word: Aforementioned

    She's pointing to the aforementioned dude over there.

    She's pointing to the aforementioned dude over there.

    Main Entry: afore·men·tioned
    Pronunciation: \-ˈmen(t)-shənd\
    Function: adjective
    Date: 1587
    A : mentioned previously

    I love this word. I LOVE the word aforementioned. I’m a dork and I try to use this word as often as humanly possible – or wherever I can feasibly fit the word into a sentence. Why? Because I feel like this word makes you seem a whole lot smarter than you really are. No, no, no, I’m not saying that you aren’t already smart. What I AM saying is not a lot of people throw the word “Aforementioned” around… and if you were to toss it out in an unexpected scenario, people might say, “Man, that guy/girl/thing is S-M-A-R-T.

    So it means mentioned previously. But what does THAT mean? Well in this case I would be referring to the AFOREMENTIONED definition of the word – meaning that I am mentioning the previously mentioned mention of the definition of the word.

    Oh no, I’ve gone cross-eyed.

    I don’t want to confuse you. I don’t think that I have, but in the off chance that I have, I am sorry.

    So, use the word in a sentence today. As soon as you go to reference something previously talked about in the conversation, be sure to refer to it as the AFOREMENTIONED topic.

    Ahhhh that’s nice.

    Leave me a comment referencing something I already said. I want you to wow me.

    Word.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    November 11th, 2009Molly BuckleyPersonal, tip of the week

    Today is Veteran’s Day. This day is really important to me… I’ll tell you why.

    In lieu of a Social Media tip this week, I have more of a life tip. I promise, my story has a point.

    My mom, 1947-2002.

    Lynda Van Devanter Buckley, 1947-2002.

    My mom, Lynda Van Devanter, served as an Army nurse in the Vietnam War from 1969-1970. She left for war a young, naive, girl ready to serve her country. What she would see and experience would change her forever. The horrors of war affected her beyond her comprehension. She came home a very different woman.

    For many years, she shut herself away afraid of facing the reality of her time in Vietnam. She was terrorized by nightmares, flashbacks, and couldn’t even watch fireworks for the longest time. She was haunted. Eventually, she channelled her emotions, her fears, and her anger into an incredibly honest, brutal, and life-changing memoir called Home Before Morning. One of the only war memoirs written from the perspective of a woman. After publishing her memoir, my mother continued to face challenges.

    Many veterans, especially women veterans, were denied the support they needed and shunned by many members of society. She was spit on, called a baby killer, and ridiculed. Yet, despite the harsh criticism she received, she continued to fight for the rights of women veterans.

    Suddenly in the fall of 1993, she became extremely ill due to her exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam. Essentially, her immune system was waiting for something to take it over. For ten years, she fought a disease that didn’t have a name, didn’t have an explanation, and didn’t have a cure – this battle went on about nine years longer than doctors had expected. Even through the toughest of times, she continued to speak about her experiences and lobby on behalf of women veterans. She was a revolutionary woman. She passed away November 15, 2002.

    I learned everything I know from my mom. No matter what life threw at her, my mom always stayed positive, worked hard, and stood up for what she knew was right – even if it wasn’t the most popular stance. She was incredibly selfless, incredibly humble, and a brilliant woman. She left a lasting legacy and impacted thousands of people – many whom she never even met.

    She was a hero and the person I have admired most in the world. I live my life every day with the hopes that I can live up to her legacy and hope to lead a life like hers.

    I want to make a difference. I want to make an impact.

    So, what is my tip this week? Make an impact. Leave a legacy. Are you living your life every day with the want, the desire, and the drive to serve others? It’s hard to think about sometimes and sounds almost cliche, but honestly, if you were to leave this world tomorrow, what kind of legacy would you be leaving?

    Is there someone in your life that you look up to or admire? Take them out to lunch, dinner, coffee, or even send them a note. Thank them. Tell them why they’ve made an impact on your life.

    I may not have served in the military, gone to war, or saved lives – but I have goals and I have vision. I get the most joy out of helping others and making people laugh, and I hope that I will be able to make an impact in some way doing what I love.

    In addition, because it’s Veteran’s Day – if you know a Veteran or have someone in your life who has served in the military, Thank them. Tell them you are grateful for their service. Many of us would not be here today if it were not for their bravery.

    I want to thank you for taking the time to read my mom’s story and listen to my thoughts today. I tend to get very reflective at this time of year.

    I want to hear Your thoughts. Who in your life has left a legacy and made a lasting impact on you? Is there any mantra/motto/thought that you live by? Tell me your story.

    Happy Veteran’s Day.

    Word.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    November 9th, 2009Molly Buckleybusiness, Networking Events, social media

    n154977732295_9477Although this is a local-topic post, the message is relevant no matter what city you live in.

    For the past two and a half months, I have been spending my early Wednesday mornings attending the Chapel Hill Leads Group. Three months ago, I didn’t even know what a Leads group was, let alone did I know about one to attend. Well, as I was cold calling businesses trying to network, I met a man by the name of Jamey Tippens, a local home inspector. As I spoke to him about being new to the area, networking, and the like, he told me about the Chapel Hill Leads Group and suggested that I come check it out.

    So I did.

    For those of you that don’t know, a Leads group is a meeting/forum for individuals and/or businesses to meet, network, and talk about their business and goals. In just two months, I have met some incredible people at the Leads group, so I’m very grateful to Jamey for encouraging me to check it out.

    I even had the privilege of volunteering for a few hours at the annual Chapel Hill Leads Group Food Drive to benefit the Food Bank of North Carolina. We collected over $1,400 and enough food for 10,001 meals. That’s right… 10,001 meals. How awesome is that?

    *Quick plug: for those of you in and around the Triangle, NC area, you should definitely come check out the Chapel Hill Leads Group. They meet EVERY Wednesday morning at Extraordinary Ventures in Chapel Hill. It’s FREE your first time, and only $5 a week after that (which helps to support the facility and pays for delicious goodies). It really is a GREAT way to meet new people, make friends, network, and learn about amazing new opportunities in business and career development. The group is really welcoming, fun, light-hearted, and well connected. They are really there to help you out.

    If you don’t live in Chapel Hill, know that there are Leads groups that meet all over. I’m sure Google can help you find one in your area.

    I also wanted to take a moment to plug the CHAPEL HILL LEADS GROUP BUSINESS AND CONSUMER EXPO.

    When: Tuesday, November 10th

    Time: 5PM – 9PM

    Where: Extraordinary Ventures

    Who: Anyone and everyone!

    The BUSINESS AND CONSUMER EXPO presented by the Chapel Hill Leads Group will feature businesses from all around the surrounding Triangle and Triad communities.

    Why not start your holiday shopping Early? Get gifts, food, clothing, and even services all in ONE location. Do a little networking! Bring business cards and make great new connections! Free admission and free catered dinner for ALL attendees!  Bring a friend. Network. Support local businesses. I’ll be there! Come see me!

    Check out the event on FACEBOOK. Check out the event on EVENTBRITE.

    Okay, back to my original point. Why is this relevant? In an economy such as this, many small and local businesses are struggling, yet small and local businesses put money back into the community. A community thrives through the strong support of small and local businesses.

    Movements like the 3/50 project or LocalMotive are great for supporting the local economy. Check out movements in your area. Tell me: how are You helping to support your local economy?

    Just food for thought.

    Shop local. Buy local! See you at the Leads Expo!

    All for now.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    November 5th, 2009Molly BuckleyThuper Therious Thursday, twitter

    Yes, this exists.

    For this week’s Thuper Therious Thursday, I thought I’d share this incredibly scary, adorable, weird, funny, [insert adjective here] video by @iJustine. iJustine is a blogger, vlogger, tech geeker, and tweeter. I have to give her credit, although it’s cheesy, it covers the entire Twitter spectrum. Hashtags and all. ;)  Anyway, enjoy!

    If you were to write your own Twitter song, what would YOU call it? It can be an original or a spoof. :)

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    November 3rd, 2009Molly Buckleyfacebook, social media, twitter

    It seems as though everyone and their great-uncle’s cousin is talking about Facebook fan pages recently. I feel like I’ve ready a gazillion (yes, that’s a real number) blog posts and tweets about “Promoting your Fan Page,” “Fan Pages and the News Feed,” or “Get Fans Now!” Some of those blog posts have been great! Some of them, well not so much. It can be overwhelming if you’re just starting out trying to decide what works and what doesn’t. Oh, and no matter what anyone says, you’re not going to be Michael Jackson and get 10,000,000 fans in 10 days. I love you, but let’s be realistic.

    SO, as a follow-up to my Fan Page vs. Group blog post from last week, I decided that I wanted to throw some of my ideas and things I have tried out there for how to promote your Facebook fan page. And since I like lists and simplicity, I figured I’d call this “The 5 sure-fire ways to promoting your FB Fan page.

    [These 5 things can be applied to business pages, artist pages, organization pages, or causes - and so I don't have to say all those words - I'm going to call it your ROCKSTAR page. Mmmkay?]

    1. Suggest to Friends. (This option is located right underneath the fan page profile picture. Also, you can filter your suggestion by region – this is great especially for local businesses). This first step seems so simple and so basic, yet it is the most important. Some would disagree and that’s totally fine. Sure, your friends will love you anyway, and if you want them to be a fan of your ROCKSTAR page, they, for the most part will oblige. However, the fact is, to build a solid network you have to start from the ground up. Lay the foundation before you start on the mansion. Encourage your friends to suggest the page to their friends – and so on and so forth. You know 20 people, your friend knows 20 people, etc. etc…
    2. Make It Easy Online. Yes, shocker, promote your page online. There are a few simple and easy ways to do this. (Yes, this one has sub-categories. It’s totes fine. They go together).
      1. Create a Fan box for your website – this can be done by clicking the Fan Box link underneath the Fan page profile picture. A few clicks, a copy/paste of the generated code, and you’re done!
      2. Put a link in your e-mail signature - by simply putting a little “Connect with me on Facebook” link in your email signature, you’re able to so simple promotion a couple (for me) hundred times a day. Okay, so you don’t email a couple hundred times a day, but most of us at least send 10-20 emails a day. That’s 10-20 more people who will see your link. And if they forward your email on to people they know, that’s 10-20 MORE people, and so on and so forth.
      3. Custom URL - I am shocked to see how many companies still don’t have a custom URL for their Fan pages. If you have over 25 fans, you need to get yourself a custom URL. DO IT. NOW! Leave this site. Go! DO IT! http://facebook.com/username. Seriously, do it.
      4. Newsletters - despite popular belief, not all newsletters are so 2008. Many companies are using email newsletters as a great way to connect with customers. Include a link to your ROCKSTAR page in your newsletter. You’d be surprised how many people will at least click it.
    3. Twitter - okay, not everyone who is on Facebook is on Twitter, and surprisingly, not everyone who is on Twitter is on Facebook. But Twitter still is a great way to connect with a different demographic. If your ROCKSTAR page is super interactive, why not link to it in your Twitter URL/bio? Now, don’t spam your followers with “BE MY FAN, YO!” every 10 minutes. But it is totally okay to send out a message once or twice a week saying, “Hey, we’re on Facebook – be a Fan and get awesome updates, etc. etc. etc.” Let them know you love them. Love your followers. Love your fans. And in the end, they’ll love you.
    4. Content. Shocker! If you don’t have content, you won’t have fans. Your content has to be as ROCKSTAR as you are. Be creative! Have fun! Change it up. Don’t do all updates, pictures, videos. Add variety. Encourage discussion and feedback. If a fan comments, reply back to them. Pose a question totally unrelated to your ROCKSTAR self – see what happens. Keep fans wanting more. Also, don’t update vomit. Try to spread your updates out throughout the day or the week. Don’t come to the page once a week and post 20 things at once. That will just be annoying, not engaging.
    5. If you REWARD them, they will come. Choose a Fan of the week or Fan of the month. Give out freebies and goodies to those who are engaged. Play hide and go seek on your page – hide something on the page and give the first person who finds the hidden thing a prize. Don’t leave them hanging. People love to have their backs scratched – so scratch them, and they’ll scratch you. (Okay, that’s an awkward analogy, but you know what I mean). Give them FAN SPECIFIC offers and content – it will make them feel special and make others want to join in on the fun. When people come to your fan page, they want to see a party going on. Cause people want to be part of the party. Am I right?!

    Okay. So I hope some of those things helped. And of course there are a gazillion (yes, it IS a number) other things you can do, but I’ve found, using these 5 simple things has worked really well for me and those whom I have worked with.

    Tell me, what techniques, tips, or tricks have helped you out? Have you done any of the things I suggested here? I love to hear other ideas!

    But in the end, be the ROCKSTAR that I know you are.

    All for now.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    November 2nd, 2009Molly BuckleyStuff n' things

    In case you weren’t aware, already… I am on the awesome rockstar writing team for a show called DSI Witness News out of the DSI Comedy Theater in Carrboro, NC. We write news parody, headlines, and character pieces. We do a once a month live show in a similar format to Weekend Update and we write for a 5 minute news segment MONDAY – FRIDAY on local radio station WCHL 1360AM, Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s News, Talk, and Tarheels station. DSI Witness News is ON AIR every morning at 8:20AM and every afternoon at 5:55PM.

    We write hyper-local news, but we love tying in national headlines and national figures. I had so much fun with this morning’s episode that I wanted to share it on my own blog and do a plug for DSIWN, too!

    Today’s episode featured endorsements for the Chapel Hill Mayoral election with Sarah Palin (me), Aurora Joplin (me), and Bill Strom (Kit FitzSimons). It was awesome. Check out the episode here.

    Awesome. You can subscribe to the DSI Witness News podcast on iTunes – just search: DSI COMEDY and click subscribe!

    You can also FOLLOW us on Twitter: @DSIWN. Don’t live in Chapel Hill/Carrboro? We also stream online… listen here: http://wchl1360.com/live_streaming.html. Now there’s no excuse not to listen and laugh! Thanks for supporting DSI Witness News. Thanks for supporting local comedy.

    All for now.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    November 2nd, 2009Molly Buckleybusiness, social media

    “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

     

    I wanted to start of this week on a little bit of an inspirational note. I don’t want to sound like a motivational speaker, but frankly, I needed to talk about this topic: Enthusiasm and living your passion.

    Last week, someone said made a comment in passing to me that made me 1. confused and 2. a bit miffed. So I love social media, I love networking, I love writing, I love Mexican food, and I LOVE comedy. For me, I get the most joy out of making someone laugh. Well, this person made a comment that I was “too enthusiastic” about my work and that I should “consider taking back my enthusiasm a notch.

    *CAR SCREECH NOISE*

    What?!?!?! TOO enthusiastic about my work? TOO passionate about what I do? I get excited and my face lights up when I talk about the things I love? And that’s… bad?

    That comment got me thinking. I really take criticism, especially constructive criticism to heart. I am always trying to better myself and improve every single day. (If you don’t try to get better at what you do and what you love, then why work at all?) So, I started to self-assess my work, my approach, and my goals. And I had just so happened to see that quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson in an e-mail a good friend of mine sent me. And I immediately knew that I was okay. I’m not over the top, I’m not in your face, I’m just passionate, and I love what I do.

    Do you think Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went all the way to the moon complaining?
    Do you think Michael Jackson recorded “Got to Be There” and hated that it sold over five MILLION copies worldwide?
    Do you think Julia Roberts would have rather worked at McDonald’s then star in Mystic Pizza?

    Of course not. They loved what they did.

    Why should I apologize for loving what I do? I may not have a full-time job, I may not make a million dollars a year, I may not drive a fancy car, but what I do makes me happy.

    I want to know more, learn more, and improve. Because if I’m not going to be enthusiastic about what I do, then frankly, I’m going to be pretty B-O-R-I-N-G!

    And Molly Buckley is anything but boring. Am I right?

    So, I leave you with this: love what you do and be as enthusiastic as you WANT about it. Don’t let the cynics, the critics, and the grumps get you down. I hope your face lights up when you talk about what you love.

    Emerson was right. [End rant.]

    All for now.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • scissors
    October 28th, 2009Molly Buckleyfacebook, social media, tip of the week, twitter

    Disagree. Yes. I said it. Disagree.

    Now, this is, of course, coming from yours truly who is, by nature, a people pleaser and I hate disagreeing. What? Molly hates something? Yes, and that’s negativity and disagreement. I come from an uber-supportive family and I’m an improviser. In improv, we are told that disagreement on stage is nothing but wasted time. Our philosophy, “Yes, and…” tells us as improvisers that we support and we agree with our scene partner 100% AND to add new and interesting information. If you and I were on stage and you handed me an imaginary cat and I responded by saying, “NO! That’s a dog!” – then that would be disagreement and the audience would immediately check out and loathe what was happening on stage. So, what does this point have to do with Social Media? And why on earth would I tell you to do something I, myself, am not even good at. Because I can, that’s why.

    Now, I don’t want you to go out there and disagree just to be a jerk or piss people off. My point is that I want you to form your OWN opinion and that you don’t ALWAYS have to agree with people. Discussion and dialogue are at the crux of building relationships and, ultimately, a strong community. If we all agreed 100% of the time, life would be pretty one-sided and a whole lotta tunnel vision would be going on.

    It’s important to listen to other’s opinions and take in each other’s perspectives. I learned this lesson very early on. My mother was a very liberal democrat and my father was a very conservative republican – they might not have always seen eye-to-eye, but they always appreciated each other’s opinions and took their perspectives into account – this almost made their relationship stronger. But this isn’t a relationship blog. ;)

    So here is your challenge: the next time you read a tweet, a Facebook status update, a blog post, or check out an article – find a way to, politely of course, disagree. Challenge an argument. Start a healthy discussion and see what comes out of it. See what you can learn.

    Now, don’t be a jerk and don’t fight with people. There is a point where you can go too far. But I believe you can always learn from people who see things differently than you. But, you don’t have to agree with me, of course. ;)

    Social Media TIP OF THE WEEK: Disagree from Molly Buckley on Vimeo.

    All for now.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • « Older Entries

Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes

THEmollybuckley. is Stephen Fry proof thanks to caching by WP Super Cache