What is WA really?

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We've all heard the story of the six blind men who tried to describe an elephant.

One had a hold of the elephant's tail. He described the

elephant as being a snake. One had his hands on the great, strong legs and described the elephant as a strong tree. Another grabbed a hold of the elephant's trunk and described the elephant as being a rope. Yet another felt a smooth long tusk, and another yet felt an ear and tried to describe it. And another man felt the huge body of the elephant and described it as a massive boulder.

None of the descriptions of the elephant were the same. I'm sure it confused the men very much.

They were all correct in their description, but none of them had the full picture. And yet, the elephant resembled each of those things in some way.

The Wonderful World of WA is much the same.

There have been some pretty lively conversations about what people feel is appropriate to write about around here and what WA is and is not. Which leads me to ask.....

What is WA?

Is it a training platform?

Is WA a business community?

Is it a community of writers?

Is it a technical support group?

Is WA a social community?

Is it a community of entrepreneurs?

Is it an affiliate marketing community?

Is WA a safe place and community to experiment and learn?

Is WA a place for professional development?

Is it a place for personal development?

I do not intent to represent or speak for Kyle or Carson. I think we can all agree that what they created for us is incredible.

But the conversations of late regarding what people think WA should or should not be is troubling; both in the limit and range of thoughts, but more in the tone of the conversations.

Some folks seem to think that the purpose and intent of WA is limited to affiliate marketing alone. Off topic posts? Really? What would one of those be? Call me crazy (and here is where I will probably tick lots of folks off). For me - and again I do not mean to speak for Kyle or Carson -

WA is all of the things above.

Affiliate marketing and developing an on-line business requires skills that few of us had when we started this adventure.

The technical training WA offers, I think most of us would agree is second-to-none.

The level and depth of experience many of the members who share their knowlege and expertise is amazing. I learn something new every day and know that I still have sooooo very much to learn.

I have made some incredible friends who have

made my life so much richer. I don't want to imagine not having them as part of my life! Much of our family and friends outside of WA don't get what we are doing, let alone why. It's nice that the members of this community 'get it'.

For those of us that this is a totally new arena for, it was a safe place to learn and experiment.

For those who aren't as confident in their abilities, it offers support, encouragement, and an occasional, but well-meaning, kick in the touche'.

For those thata writing is not something that comes easily or naturally, this forum and format provide an opportunity to practice and learn to become stronger writers.

Life is what happens when you're doing other things - including building an affiliate business. It's nice to be able to share the challenges, trials, and tribulations that come with this adventure. Quitting is easy. Having people who care about you encourage and challenge you to persevere is important.

For me, the Wonderful World of WA is, first and foremost, a community.

We are from different countries, different backgrounds.

We are different ages. It may be that the only thing we have in common is that we are part of WA.

Ideally, there is a level of civility and respect for others within a community. Ideally, it should be a safe place where those from all levels of experience and success are welcome and encouraged.

It is a place where you are free to be you and express where you are at the moment, or anything else that might be on your mind. The limitations are pretty few and, until recently, I thought clear.

If you have experienced success, I want to celebrate with you.

If you are experiencing challenges and obstacles, I want to be there to encourage or help however I can to help keep you in the game and get you through it.

Many of you I consider friends. I care about what's going on in your life and your family and I want to hear about it. I geuinely miss you when you are absent and have been known to contact you directly via private messages just to check in and make sure all is ok. You're my friend, not just my colleague or another member of WA. We have a relationship. And I enjoy making new friends here.

I think this is what community is about.

You follow people - people follow you

There are thousands upon thousands of people participating in the Wonderful World of WA.

There is no way to follow them all. Not all of them will follow what you're doing. It's ok.

There are folks you will click with. There are others you won't click with. It's ok.

There are posts that will be relevent for you. Read those.

There are posts that will not be relevent for you. Don't read those.

Everybody here has different needs and expectations from their involvement here.

Great! Go for it! Others are here for other reasons different from yours. That should be ok too.

At tne end of the day, we all get what we need in some way during our adventures within the WA platform and within the Wonderful World of WA; maybe not in every post and comment. Ok. Move on to the next one. Goodness knows there are plenty to read and comment upon at all hours of the day and night. Meanwhile I'll do my thing and happily let you do yours.

Enjoy your day. Stay well!

Christine

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Recent Comments

36

So very well put Christine.
I knew there was a reason I had saved this one.
I haven't come across any of the 'conversations' though I can be quite linear in what I go to on a regular basis.
I have noticed in the past, when this kind of things rears its head, that the ones making the noise, choose their targets quite specifically. The 'why' could be a number of reasons but I think it's because they think they can get away with it, bordering on bullying really.
Without the 'blog' faciltiy here, I'm not sure how long I would have stayed. It has allowed me to grow and gain confidence in my writing.
Writing for our sites is much easier than writing here because here the reaction is instant. Also the audience has so much experience.
I liken it to playing your instrument, solo, for the first time, infront of an audience of musicians.

Hello, thank you for writing this post.

I agree with everything you are saying Christine. I feel that when it comes to understanding the term "Community" you have said it perfectly.

It is what I feel that the WA platform has provided for everyone who wants to connect, learn, grow, teach, share and encourage each other.

There is a mixed group on WA from stay at home moms and dads to experienced business owners, talented writers, successful marketers, entrepreneurs, those who are self-employed, or who work a full-time job, those who are retired and looking to supplement their income by working from home, and those wanting to spend more time with their families while building a business.

On the WA platform there is something for everyone. I like the fact that there is a multitude of activities for those who like to chat, those who like to blog, those who like to answer questions and members who publish training videos, and those who provide motivational support.

I am glad that there is a safe place to come online to be uplifted, encouraged, and motivated with positive thoughts and words from members from all over the world.

Christine you are such a great asset to the community. I enjoy reading your WA blog posts and I look forward to reading more of what you have to share with the WA Community.

Wishing you and your family many blessings and be safe!

Kay

Thank you for the kind words, Kay! You made my morning! This is such a special place. Creating and protecting the kind of culture that we have here to learn and interact safely is a huge concern for me. I appreciate that you think so too. Thank you for taking time to read my humble musings and leaving such a thoughtful note. It means more than you know.

Hope you have a blessed and safe day!

Christine

AMEN! I like your list. With the number of people on this platform, not everyone will be happy with what's written. I suppose as you get more experienced, your needs change as well. It's ok, There is something for everyone here AND like you, I have made a lot of connections that I value. If it wasn't for WA, those would not exist.

We are an awesome, diverse community! Let's celebrate that AND thank Kyle and Carson! Just my thoughts!!!

~Debbi

I completely agree, Debbi!! Thanks for taking time to share part of your day with me. It's always great to hear from you. Christine

They wouldn't have gotten this far if those ideas were true. Sometime when someone is new and gets a little amount of experience under their belt, then they have all the answers. You can see that with some of the answers to questions. After they get 5 years in, if they get that far, they might look at things differently. Good post Christine.

Thank you so much for taking time to read today's post and drop a note. It's always great to hear from you. Christine

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