Right Back at Ya

I started this blog so many years ago (I can’t even remember the exact year now). The older posts on this blog were transferred from another site so even those dates aren’t accurate. Back then when I first started this blog, I had so many grandiose ideas of writing often and connecting with others but that didn’t happen right away. In fact, it took several years. The reason why it took so long was mostly my fault, I suppose. While I always had a strong desire to write, I never felt comfortable sharing my stories or amplifying my voice in a way that would make me stand out.

What if what I have to say doesn’t matter?
What if people don’t get it or don’t think it’s funny?
What if no one likes what I have to say?

Self-censorship was a huge barrier for me as you can see from my constant inner ramblings above. I also, for a long time, didn’t think I was good enough. Good enough for what? Good enough to call myself a writer, maybe? Through the years, I would see other bloggers grow their sites and connect with other readers on a more steady and consistent basis. I would settle in the background thinking, wow, that would be cool if my blog could reach others in the same way. But I had no idea how; I had no clue where to start.

I think we all have visions of who we want to be and the things we want to accomplish. Some of us (maybe those who grew up being told they could be or do anything) go forth and pursue those dreams without hesitation, and others are more reserved. The latter group probably start to notice the negative voice that seems to hover endlessly: “but can you, though?” Now, instead of muting myself, I’ve learned to silence that inner ‘negative Nancy.’ Shhh, I’m just going to do it anyway, watch me. 

When the world and everything we had ever known started to crumble, my thoughts about my blog and my writing began to shift.

Who cares, here I go!
You never really know what’s around the corner.
Now or never!
Life really is freakin’ short- too short to be this afraid of expressing ourselves and doing what we love.

So, I did it. I put myself on a weekly schedule (I publish every Wednesday morning, btw) and I started to write- a lot. I wrote wherever I could (on my phone, my laptop, my desktop, scraps of paper) whenever inspiration hit. I suddenly wanted to share everything with whoever wanted to listen read; anything that made me laugh in my life needed to be shared. I wanted to spread joy but at the same time, tell that one person out there reading my blog that they’re never alone in what they’re feeling. I hit the publish button every week hoping what I write can make others laugh or seem relatable on some level but if it doesn’t, I now know it won’t make a dent in my journey. I have come a long way.

I found that only when I started speaking my truth, did I find readers who either appreciated my honesty or related to what I was going through. The reason why I wanted to write this particular post is because I’ve received so much love from other bloggers that I felt a sincere thank you was the least I could do. I apologize for the copious links below but I feel it is necessary; it also makes it easier for those who are interested to check out those specific posts/blogs. I hope you will check them out and see why they are all so magnificent!

Pete Springer stumbled upon my blog and has been a loyal reader ever since! He was the first person to give me some notoriety in the blogosphere by reblogging my most popular post (to date) about the joys of parenting. Pete is a retired teacher and his heartwarming post about a memorable student inspired me to write about my favourite teacher. 

Moksha of Happy Panda recommended my blog (not once but twice) to her lengthy list of loyal subscribers. My post about International Women’s Day inspired her own post. She also just launched her own brand of sustainable products and I am so excited for her to start this new journey! If you are interested, please visit her site for more information on how you can live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Shelly of Growing with Spawn was actually introduced to my blog through Happy Panda (above) and she’s been a regular ever since. Shelly was also inspired by one of my posts about the one-year anniversary of the covid pandemic and wrote a related post of her own. 

Crystal Byers recently nominated me and several other bloggers (she was so kind to focus on those with smaller followings) for the Golden Blogger award (thank you)! She became a follower when she happened upon one of my posts which inspired her to write her own International Women’s Day post. Crystal also has amazing tips on how to grow your blog in this insightful post. I wish I had known this years ago, they are great tips and very true!

Without all of your interest and support, I don’t think my blog would have grown as quickly as it has. While some may think the following I have now is small, it is still much more than I ever imagined I would reach!

I also couldn’t end this post without a quick shoutout to my loyal readers who have supported me throughout my blogging journey! I love reading all of your weekly posts- some of you allow me to live vicariously through your stories, but all of you inspire me to stay true to myself and to continue to create unique content!

Esoterica 
Larney
Thereneverwasasaintwithredhair 
Meg Kimball
The Goddess Attainable
Vani Heart
Pepper Valentine 

There are so many awesome bloggers that I would love to highlight so I will definitely do a part two sometime down the road but for now, I just wanted to give back some love to my amazing readers who have shown me so much warmth and kindness!

One advice that successful bloggers often give over and over again is to stay within a small, distinct niche. Never for a second did I consider doing that. I felt doing so would be very limiting for me and my intentions for this blog. Therefore, my approach to blogging is probably the opposite: I write about anything and everything that comes to mind. And oftentimes, the things that come to mind are the most mundane of experiences because life happens between moments- planned and unplanned. Of course, it’s easy to laugh during fun times but how great would it be if we learned how to laugh even in the shitty, unplanned moments. I believe, if you look hard enough, there’s always a silver lining or comical spin hidden somewhere in the hard truths (along with some tough, valuable lessons). So, to all my supporters who allow me to be exactly who I am every Wednesday, I appreciate it more than you all will ever know!

Liked this post? Check out other popular posts on my blog:

• The Wall
• Right Back At Ya
• Sister, Sister
• Because I Am
• I’m An Asshole