Shaine Mata

Chris Brogan started this idea of writing a short biography and invited others to do the same. Here is my effort.

The thing most people know me for is…

This depends on who you ask. Some people know me for being brilliant. Others know me for not being brilliant. I’ve been told that I am self-managing. If I had to put it into one phrase, people know me because I’m always around, but not the star of the show. I’m known for being ordinary.

The people I associate the most with are…

I would have to say that I mostly associate with family and co-workers. Lately, I’ve developed long-distance friendships through the Internet with people who share interests in blogging and podcasting. Once I get back to my normal life, I’ll mostly associate with co-workers and family in person; I’ll associate with friends online.

People who have influenced my life are…

It’s tough to say. I haven’t met anybody whom I would consider a great influence, at least to where I would single them out as an especially life-changing person. I find myself influenced by the people I know and respect. These are often friends and family. They influence my life through their daily interaction. Their sincere and honest guidance and opinions influence my life every day.

One challenge I took on and overcame was…

I don’t think I’ve overcome my biggest challenge, me. It’s a constant struggle to get myself to go out and become great, or at least better. The biggest challenge thus far was getting out of poverty. That was rough. Now I’ve got to get out of just above poverty.

My early years, before you probably got to know me were…

How early do you want to go? If you go really early, the world was mine. I just had to go out and choose my place. Later on, I learned that life is tough. You can’t let it happen and stay in your comfort zone. You’ve got to do stuff that makes you uncomfortable in order to get ahead.

You might not know this, but …

I absolutely hated writing. I could never figure out what it was about until one professor made it easy for me to understand. Ever since then, I’ve been at it in some form or another.

I’m passionate about…

documenting my experiences. I don’t know from where this originated. One day, I just started writing a journal. Blogging is simply one of the ways in which I keep track of what is going on in my life. I love being able to go back to a time when I experienced something and reading about it. It allows me to re-experience what happened in my own words. Written words are more desireable than fading memories.

In the next year or two, I hope to…

This is the challenge. In the next couple of years, I will become what I have always wanted to be, a freelance computer guy. I’ll start with what I know best, repairs and upgrades, and train myself in web development. In addition, I hope to finish my degree in Finance.