Rumi’s Guide to An Effective Website About Page
In 2007, the 800th anniversary of his birth, Rumi was described as “the most popular poet in America”. Though he was born in 1207, his wisdom deeply resonates with many in our complex and rapidly changing times.
Rumi’s understanding of spirituality is not divorced from the world. His poetry urges us to find right relationship with food, sex, money and politics. For instance:
Don’t run around this world looking for a hole to hide in. ~ Rumi
So if Rumi were around today, I think he would be a big proponent of spiritual entrepreneurs and wisdom teachers having a clear and compelling website. And one of the most important pages on your wisdom based site is your About page.
Letting Go of Dogma
One of the things that resonates deeply about Rumi’s poetry is that he strips away dogmatic and linear approaches to spirituality. For instance:
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. ~ Rumi
A good About page allows us to feel into how a conscious business owner walks her/his spiritual journey. A rigid or formulaic approach is a turn off for many of the people you want as clients. The first suggestion I have for you in creating an effective website about page is to relax the need to search outside yourself for the “right” way.
The most compelling version of your About page is going to be something personal and unique to you.
The Attractive Power of Compassion
When compassion fills my heart,
free from all desire,
I sit quietly like the earth.
My silent cry echoes like thunder
throughout the universe. ~ Rumi
On an energetic level, one of the main things going on for most spiritual entrepreneurs around their website is their own sense of neediness and doubt. “Will it work to bring in the clients I’m desiring?”
A common way to protect oneself from this vulnerability is to emphasize techniques and professional trainings. I trained at XYZ Institute. I’ve been using Technique ABC for 12 years. While most potential clients do want a sense of your professional background, this kind of website about page isn’t compelling. They feel like a resume crafted to get a corporate job instead of an intimate conversation with a wise guide your prospective client is considering hiring.
There is a saying in the conscious business world: “People want to know how much you care before they care about how much you know.” Your About page is the perfect place to allow your compassion to shine. And when your compassion is deeply woven into your About page, it will resonate like “thunder throughout the universe.”
Click here to see how I incorporate compassion on my About page.
Speak to the Two Worlds
People are going back and forth
across the doorsill where the two worlds touch,
The door is round and open
Don’t go back to sleep! ~ Rumi
Your ideal client is BOTH someone with a vibrant inner life AND someone who’s facing a challenge or opportunity in the outer world. She is feeling stuck and afraid about changes happening in her career. He is concerned about his son failing at school. She has an ongoing pain in her lower back that’s sapping her vitality.
Your website About page will be most effective if it honestly and wholeheartedly tells your story as it relates to the realities your ideal client is now faced with. Some questions to consider:
- What wisdom practices have helped you with challenges you have faced in your life?
- What kinds of challenges have you personally faced that might be similar to the ones your ideal client is facing now?
- How far along are you in working through these challenges?
- What professional training or mentoring have you had to prepare you to do this work?
- What inner qualities and strengths do you have that allow you to be particularly effective in this area?
- How have humor and synchronicity showed up in your journey? (Rumi shows a special affinity for humor and synchronicity in his poems)
What’s Your Experience?
Given the importance of a good About page, I’d love to hear your experience. What have you found effective? What questions do you have? Please share in the form of a comment below.
Thank you so much for this post! These are just the guidelines I need and questions that I want to go deeper into answering on my About Page. I knew there was something missing and wasn’t quite focusing in on how to create the balance of professionalism and personal that I desired to convey. Fabulous to have this!
Glad it’s helpful Melissa. One way to look at it is from a Emotional Intelligence perspective. The personal sharing is where the heart energy, relationality and real vibrancy comes from. The professional background speaks to the more rational mind. Put them together and things come alive! 🙂
A really nice blog, Paul. Quite timely for me, as you know!
However, I couldn’t believe it when I read your words, “His poetry urges us to find right relationship with food, sex, money and politics” after I had just written to you today that I thought the common theme around 4 areas I’m thinking of addressing in my practice (3 of the 4 are the first 3 your list of 4 here) is our relationship to each of them. Wow! Talk about synchronicity! That’s pretty unreal!
Priscilla: Rumi and I love synchronicity in all it’s forms! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this. And glad the post came along at a good time for you …
Paul, I love the fact that it’s also about Rumi. It gives me permission to take the incredible beauty and compassion of Rumi with me along the journey. Thanks!
This was a really fun post to write Sarah. Rumi is one of my favorite poets! 🙂
Paul, I really love the post. Finding my voice has been a challenge for me. I’m assuming it will be like a step function – once I’ve found it, that voice will deeply resonate with ideal clients. I like the focus on the About page. For my site its the most clicked on page, so its extremely important. The 6 questions are really deep and cut straight to what matters – not only me, but also my ideal clients.
Mehul,
Yes, finding one’s voice on a site is the fundemental issue. It’s what let’s our prospective clients feel our wisdom and compassion. And hopefully a bit of FUN in the mix too. 🙂
“The first suggestion I have for you in creating an effective website about page is to relax the need to search outside yourself for the “right” way.” Yes, and it applies not only to the website but to all of my life, professional and personal. An excellent reminder to look inside and be me 🙂
That will naturally translate into my About Page and anything else. And it feels so refreshing to be me!
Thanks for your beautiful post, Paul! Wonder-full Rumi!
“Yes, and it applies not only to the website but to all of my life, professional and personal.” You mean there’s not a “right” way to be a person Gudrun? 🙂
Glad the post is helpful. Look forward to seeing what you come up with!
I just wanted to let you know that your blog post inspired how I wrote my about page. http://lifesurfersguide.com/index.php/chip/
Not sure how well I followed your advice though.
Glad it was helpful Chip. And laughed out loud at “Lone Ranger-Superman-Jesus Christ complex”. TOTALLY relate … 🙂
Dear Paul,
I loved how you combined Rumi’s philosophy with authentic web writing and the About Me part, LOVE the creative spiritual connections you make!
I am a big fan of the spiritual philosophy in the old Islamic Sufi era. Those were the real spiritual creative liberal times indeed unlike the dark religious conflict times happening in the world now. Rumi, Ibn Arabic & Suhrawardi left a big spiritual treasure for us, how much can we be grateful! I am happy reading this now- manifestation, this blog came this morning at the perfect moment for me as I am sitting with myself, meditating on who I am, my soul purpose, awareness of past limitations and ingrained fear, and who I dream to be. I was about to start writing About Me when something inside guided me to read your blogs first.I enjoyed reading the other blogs too and the ” too much talking spiritual ones” resonated with my path and how I look at people or even being lost in my own knowledge when I sound sophisticated to others (or not). Simplicity and humility are virtues. Thank you for the education and love you bring in every word you write! Muna
MUNA! Thanks for stopping by my blog. 🙂
Yes, Rumi has left us such a treasure. Hopefully this post is something in alignment with Rumi’s deep and profound teachings. Glad you found it helpful on your About Me journey. Best of luck in creating your site!
Paul