This week marks 6 months that I’ve been blogging. I had no idea what I was doing when I started (maybe I still don’t), but I feel like this has been good for me for a few reasons.
First, all of my life I have done things because either someone told me to, I was obligated to or it was just plain right. None of those are bad things, but I think it’s important to have a hobby or something that you do just because you simply enjoy it. That realization came to me when we had a mediator come into work and he asked me what I did on my spare time for fun. I sat there, unable to state any clear thing that I did simply for enjoyment.
After that wake-up call, I started to think about things that I enjoyed when I was younger – beauty, traveling, writing and laughing. That’s when I decided I would start a blog.
Second, I’m going to throw out the word endurance. I have this vivid childhood memory of my swim instructor telling me that I had great skills, but had to work on my endurance. I never knew that would stick with me until I realized that quitting things used to come easy to me. Now, any time I want to quit doing something, I run that phrase through my head and I evaluate if it’s my emotions talking or true logic. That swim instructor told me that after I failed the class by refusing to swim across the length of the pool. I literally swam to the middle of the pool and decided I couldn’t do it, so I stayed there for like 5 minutes treading water, pleading with him to not make me swim to the other side. Logic fail.
Third, I have become the most comfortable in my own skin since starting this. That kind of sounds strange, but confidence is something that so many people struggle with. When you put yourself out there, you run the risk of judgement from the peanut gallery. If you don’t want to be discouraged by negative comments, knowing why you are doing what you are doing is well worth it. It doesn’t totally take away the disappointment, but it does help you to push through and continue on. One of the things I say all the time, in anything you do – know your why.
Fourth, I feel like I’ve been able to connect to people who I would never have met if I wasn’t doing this. The internet is an amazing tool for connecting with people who you may never meet in everyday life. I’m grateful for these new connections and friends that I’ve made since starting my blog.
There are so many more reasons that I’m grateful for my blog and the blogging community, but these four are more than enough for me to keep going.
Thank you to all of you who enrich my life ❤
Rowena Francis 