Dr. Gary Chapman's book on the Five Love Language shares 
what they are: Words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, physical touch and receiving gifts. Although this book focuses primarily in a marriage relationship, the same principles can be applied to people we have relationships with (our business relationships included!)
We tend to express love languages we want to receive in return. So how is this an Active Rain blog as it relates to real estate? Well, let me share with you another transparent, true and brutal post about my experiences here in the 'Rain.
I started blogging in November 2006. I didn't really know what blogging is about and how it could land me all my businesses that I have now. All I know was that as I write honest, transparent and real experiences about my "feelings", I began receiving these "Featured posts" early in my blogging days. I wrote about my Million Dollar look, I shared what consumer insights about our cars and I even brought stories from where I came from: Asia.
These "featured posts" and "kudos" I get from fellow Active Rain members were one of the reasons I keep coming back. As a fierce competitor, I also began my journey of writing one featured post better than the last. I found it exciting and challenging. The point system too. If I told you I never cared about the point system, I was lying through my teeth although the points don't mean a whole lot to me now (almost 350,000 points later). I'm #4 in Texas. I know I'll never be #1. So, I never worry about it anymore.
This may seem silly to some people but it is real in my mind. Active Rain (members) spoke my love language: Words of Affirmation. Nothing speaks to me louder than words. I blog and blog and spend ample time on the computer blogging for the sake of receiving my love language. Sad to say, to the effect of hurting my relationship with my husband. His love language is QUALITY TIME and more specifically, uninterrupted Quality time. He thrive on receiving my attention, focus and energy. I feel as a wife, this is nothing to expect less of since my clients do get the best of me during the day. Since we had our son (over 20 months ago), we never spent time and never talked like we used to. We used to car pool to work together and we did everything TOGETHER for 10 years before Boomer came along.
In so many ways, I was having an affair on Active Rain. I wrote yet another Featured Post (I have a confession to make) - joking about it, but it was real. My husband feels that I pour myself to work and blogging so much that he got the short end of the stick. His concerns ARE valid. There are times it almost feels impossible to drag me away from the computer because I'm trying to get another blog up. After another blog is up, I try to get another up. Every once a while, we would go through yet another "opportunity to strengthen" our marriage. Every time, we come back to our love tank not being filled up.
For those who believe that we are our biggest love tank filler of our spouse, you will understand this and how it hurts my husband to see me spending time blogging rather than with him. He just loves to cuddle and sit down to watch TV while I find watching TV as an absolute waste of time.
But in the end, I know my priorities. What celebration would there be - if my husband is not there to celebrate with me? And if I had to go to the finishing line alone? Although many Active Rain members have become personal friends of mine, some I've even made into role models for me to emulate, in the end - there is no one as important as my husband to cheer me on to my finishing line.
I'd love to get 10 posts out there and I'd love to read at least 10 good posts to share my comments to get my points. Perhaps, around the same time when I recently ranted on the Quality of Featured Posts and Newsletter Posts were (of late) not worthy of the features. It was also around the same time that other members posted about their opinion - and I wasn't aware of it until some time later. Perhaps, I brought my personal life too much into that post. Perhaps, I was upset and down in my personal life - so nothing I read was of interests (hence, feature-worthy to me).
It's a long way to apologize to both my husband and Active Rain members.
Sometimes I do feel that it is hard to get the balance: business and personal. Filling what drives you that can come from blogging. I know not many people may understand this. But it is real.
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Contact:
Loreena Yeo
Realtor®/ Broker of 3:16 team REALTY
(214) 783-2210
loreena@loreenayeo.com
Super-serving Frisco, Plano, Dallas, McKinney, Allen, Little Elm, Prosper, Celina, Richardson, Dallas M-Streets, Dallas White Rock Lake area communities and other surrounding areas.
Copyright © 2009 by Loreena Yeo (3:16 team REALTY).
I Hate to Admit This: Active Rain fills my Love Tank.
