I spent a really long time trying to think of a name for this. It’s my least favorite thing to do. How am I supposed to find the perfect title that will perfectly encompass everything I’m trying to portray, personify the exact ideas I’m trying to get across, be something catchy that’ll bring people in – all while being something that’ll get brutally judged within those first few seconds?
So first things first, I tried to describe what it would be about in my head. And it took way longer to define in my brain than it should have. I thought maybe motivational or something but I looked up other motivational blogs and thought, “oh shit, nope, my stuff’s nothing like this.” I thought maybe travel, and looked up some travel blogs, and was instantly turned off by that too. Writing down some boring ass itinerary of what I did for the day or some corny TripAdvisor review or saying, “What I think the top 10 beaches in the world are” isn’t really shit I care about either.
So I took another step back and kind of realized I’m just writing about stuff I would want to read about. I like to read about personal development and growth; leaving your comfort zone and seeing things through new perspectives.
The thing is, even all those personal development things that I’ve read are by people who are already so developed and smart, and at the “end” of the journey, so to speak. It somehow becomes harder to relate, because in a way they’re already shaped into that “perfect”, inspirational person.
And on the other side of the coin, I feel like in today’s age of mass media, a lot of what you see more and more of on your phone and TV is just people flexing and putting on a show for what they want people to see. No one shows much vulnerability, no real life, day-to-day problems, no one shows their bad side. Everyone’s lives just look perfect from the outside.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t relate to perfect people. I’m in the process of fucking everything up. And fixing it. And learning from it. And fucking it up again. I’m not someone who has it figured out. And I realized I shouldn’t hide it if I know that writing it down could help other people not feel so alone and/or open their minds to a new idea.
So I guess in a way, this is about personal development – but not through the lens of someone who’s “already” conquered life, but from someone who is just starting the long, mistake-making journey.
I write about lessons I learn. I write about perspective. I write about things that confuse me that not enough people talk about. I write about my insecurities and why I have them. I write about how I badly fucked something up and the thoughts that go through my head as I lay in bed cringing over it. I write about the funny thoughts that keep me laughing and the cynical thoughts that keep me up at night. I write about why people think a certain way over here and other people think another way over there. I write about things I know will help people who are looking for it.
I feel I’ve been blessed with an empathetic mindset and with opportunities to see many different sides of the world that not everyone gets to see, so I decided to put those blessings to good use, even if it has just the slightest chance of helping someone in any way. So if you need motivation, go google some inspirational quotes. But if you want to relate to something real, read something here. If you want to see something from a new perspective, read something here. Maybe it’ll help.
Back to the title. After some thought, I realized I just wanted something that lets people know – it’s about self-reflection, lessons learned, bringing people together, and sharing differing views and perspectives in a relatable way. I’m no travel guru or certified therapist. I’m just a wandering moron sharing my thoughts and telling some stories, hoping someone either thinks similarly, or hoping it helps them think differently.
To be honest after all that, the title really doesn’t mean shit. But the thought process it evoked did. So here you go.
Did it work?
elliott
Dirty Maps and Mirrors