Why I Won't Regret Blogging Ten Years Later

My favorite part about blogging is conversing with the naysayers. Even the rude ones totally make my day. Because as soon as they start cursing, I know I've hit a topic that's worth talking about.

With that said, there is a certain breed of haters out there that I could really do without – the ones that think age and experience always trump a solid, well thought opinion.

I think that most Gen-Y bloggers know what I'm talking about. In some fashion we've all been sized up based on years spent in the real world. And it usually leads to a comment that goes something like this:

In 10 years you'll regret saying that.

Sure, in 10 years I'll regret a lot of things. But what I won't regret is making my voice heard as a young professional. Especially when there are tons of others out there just like me without the resources to do the same.

Will my perspective change within the next 10 years? Yes. Will I regret that I ever opened my mouth in the first place? No. If your argument is that a company might not hire me for something I said back when I was 24 years old, you may have a pretty good case. But there's an equally good chance that a company does hire me because I challenged the norm. And that's the type of company Generation Y wants to work for anyway.

What a lot of people don't realize about blogging is it's okay to be wrong. And while it's important to check your facts, you don't need to be an expert to state an opinion. That's the beauty of blogging. When I started blogging over a year ago, I would have never guessed that I would experience hardcore resistance. And in most instances, it's been a pleasant surprise.

So if you're going to be an active presence in the blogosphere, wear your boxing gloves. A few blows to your ego are definitely game. But there's one more important thing that you have to be ready to do.

Accept the New Authority

Social media has changed the way we give and receive information. News and opinion is no longer just being spoon fed to everyone by media moguls—it's being created and duplicated and passed around by everyday people. Think of it more like a buffet. But if the buffet makes you nauseous, you're more than welcome to order from the regular, everyday menu.

Challenging a blogger by asking where he gets his authority is pointless—you won't likely find a list of credentials. Instead, size him up by checking out who is reading, linking, subscribing and commenting on his blog. Besides gaining trust, that's the only basis of authority in the blogosphere.

What it all boils down to is the realization that you can't evaluate a person in the blogosphere the same way that you would in the corporate world. Age is meaningless and the only titles we have are the ones we give ourselves for the sake of it. And still, people stop by and read.

Granted, as a young professional, sometimes I do need a good reality check. And I'm happy when it's given to me.

As long as it's done with an opposing opinion in mind, not my lack of experience or age, I'm willing to take a few jabs. I learn something about myself from every insightful adversary I have. But the ones who question authority, ability, and intellect based on old-school ideas about what makes someone credible are weak and useless to me.

It's Alright to be an Introvert

I love the Myers Briggs test. We have a little bit of an obsession with it here at Brazen Careerist. We often ask potential hires for their Myers Briggs score even before we ask for a resume. So it was only appropriate that we had Rob Toomey of Speed Reading People come to Madison last week for an all-day course on the art of reading personality types.

Rob teaches you how to differentiate between personality types by simply observing or talking with people. You also learn how best to interact with each different type of personality.

The course was amazing. I learned a ton about my particular personality type, my co-workers' personalities and people in general. But the most interesting thing I learned is that I am definitely an introvert. And that's OK.

We live in a culture that encourages and admires extroverted people. My family is no exception; both of my parents are clearly outgoing extroverts. Because of this, since childhood I've felt pressured to be chirpy, social and generally outgoing. Over time I've learned to be all of these things. In college I was the social director for my fraternity, and I've now built a career around communicating with people both through speaking and writing.

But the truth is, no matter how many times I speak in front of a group or go to a networking event, I'm always anxious beforehand, and I'm always completely zapped of energy when it's over. I never understood it, you would think at some point it would just be second nature and the nerves would go away. Now I understand that these feelings probably aren't going to go away because I am an introvert at heart.

The book "The Art of Speed Reading People," says that despite what people may think when they hear extrovert or introvert, the only difference lies in where people get their energy and where they direct their energy.

"Extraverts both get energy from and focus energy toward people and things outside of themselves….Introverts tune their radar to an internal frequency because they are more interested in applying their own perceptions and experience to a situation rather than looking outside of themselves for the answer."

This makes so much sense, and it really explains why an introverted person like me can be social and outgoing. The only difference between me and an extrovert is that I become energized when I spend time alone doing something like jogging, while an extrovert becomes energized when he is with a group of people having a discussion.

This was just a tiny portion of the course, and being an introvert is only ¼ of my entire personality type (if you're curious, I'm an INTJ). But now when I tell someone I'm an introvert and they respond, "no way, you're definitely an extrovert," I can intelligently explain the difference and be proud of the fact that I'm an introvert at heart who happens to enjoy spending time with people.

Go take the test. And whatever you test as, it's probably not going to change. So no matter personality type you are, embrace it and learn how to use it to your advantage so you can effectively interact with anyone.