Well, I am going through a little rebranding on the site here. After many years of trying to find just the right way to brand my writing I have come full circle. Thus, over a period I will be migrating to RodStallings.com and BikerChaplain.com.

I have redirected RodStallings.com to The Vitruvian Journey and like the dual branding for now. This should help me when I am telling others about my blog sites. The Vitruvian Journey makes people go to blank stare on me many times. And heaven forbid they have to spell it on their own.

I get it. We have been taught, and to a great extent it is true, that simple is best. Simple works. Simple is … Simple. If you know me RodStallings.com and BikerChaplain.com are easy to remember (except for those of you who went to Charlie Chaplin’s site because .. Spelling).

So for now a bit of dual branding.

Also, you will notice a few changes. Body, Mind and Soul categorization, you can see, has been changed to Practically Speaking, Professionally Speaking and Spiritually Speaking.

I did this mainly for two reasons. I find I have far less to write about when it comes to the “Body” category but I do often have thoughts on leadership and mentoring, the two “Professional” aspects that I feel are so very important. Additionally, my life is split into three predominant categories; My professional life, my ministry and my writing. Where better to reflect that than on RodStallings.com!

Now, for those of you who would actually like to read less about my reasoning and the site change and more about what I like to write about most, perspectives & observations, I give you this;

Branding in life is something that we should be very aware of. We do it, whether we realize it or not. In our personal lives we are branded with our styles, in our professional lives we brand ourselves by what we do and in our spiritual lives we brand ourselves by what we believe (or don’t believe).

However, I am amazed at how little attention we pay to this branding. Especially being that we are continually “selling” our brands.

I have, to be honest, spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about this. Not just because I find it highly important, nor because much of the time my branding is displayed on the vest I wear when riding. Mostly because I have found that in all aspects of my life my brand not only defines me but most importantly it defines me to others.

Who does not want to be seen as the “go to guy” in our professional life’s? To do so we must have not only a work ethnic that drives this, but we need to exude that continual desire to serve others. To be the guy who never says, “that’s not my job”.

In our beliefs we cannot help but brand ourselves. Especially as Christians. You brand yourself by your every action every day. I don’t care what you believe or don’t believe, people pick up on who we are “Spiritually” (the person within) by our every word and action. Because words and actions speak loudly about who we are internally. People think they hide behind an eminence front (blog coming on this soon – Who reference – look it up) when in reality it is very hard for us to hide who we truly are within.

Personally we also brand ourselves. Our “style” or lack there of (in my case) brands us. Sadly the fashion industry has striven to teach us what their view of “ideal” or “perfect” looks like. Women have been beating themselves up because they don’t look like the models in the magazines. Really!? Who can. Go to most of them first thing in the morning without a professional makeup artist and airbrush photoshop treatment. I think your views would change quickly.

I recently saw a picture of an actress who I think is remarkably beautiful, without all of her “accompaniments”. WOW. I was really taken aback. Somebody somewhere has to wake up next to that each day. *shudder*

I will give my wife and my daughter props here; they are beautiful 100% of the time. Yes both are attractive, but more importantly (and this goes back to the spiritual branding comments), their beauty is driven from what is within. And anyone who knows them knows exactly what I am talking about. Their beauty is driven from what is within more than how they look. The second part for them both is just gravy.

My son, while being cursed with looking just like me, also exudes a character from within that is portrayed in the person he is. Handsome from within; a person people know they can rely upon and who cares deeply. Now being in the Navy he will forever be branded by this part of his life. To his great fortitude I think. I am beyond proud to say I am a Navy father!

I am going to take the branding concept one step farther. How does our countenance us? An old saying I have used before “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” How often do we go through this life exuding our suffering. I have been guilty. And I do not want to diminish that there are those who do truly suffer in life. But for most of us our suffering is optional. It is amazing what the branding of a smile can do for your attitude and others.

Oh we are branded. What you must ask yourself now is what does your brand say about who you are?