People blog for many reasons. Originally, I started my blog in late 2013 as an author platform.
But as time went on, I realized that my blog provided much more than just an authoring platform and it wasn’t just about numbers. Blogs had a different and deeper purpose. I would even say that it has changed the way I see and live my life.
Therefore, if you are thinking of starting a blog, I highly recommend it. That is, if you are blogging for the right reasons.
If you’re starting a blog to get rich or even to earn a living, well, don’t count on that. Monetizing a blog is very difficult these days. In fact, after three years, I still don’t make money from my blog. By the way, don’t believe all the hype from people selling online courses trying to convince you that blogging is a great way to generate passive income. Make no mistake, writing and promoting a blog is a lot of work. There is nothing passive about it.
In fact, it’s very easy to get frustrated when you first start a blog. As a person with technical problems, I had to learn WordPress. Then I spent a lot of time promoting my blog and trying to find an audience. Something more than I knew little. As with most bloggers, I quickly became obsessed and depressed with the numbers and the number of Facebook visitors, subscribers, and followers I had on any given day. Turns out, getting blog readers takes A LOT of time, effort, and patience.
So why blog?
Some people may disagree with me, but I think blogging shouldn’t just be about making money, boosting business, building a huge following, chasing fame, or trying to sell books.
Blogs can serve as a creative channel for expressing ideas, thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and feelings. On top of that, blogging provides a wonderful opportunity to inspire and touch other people’s lives in a positive way.
How blogging changed my life
My blog has certainly helped me overcome many ups and downs in recent years. I’ve written about joyous moments like a trip to Chicago with my husband to celebrate our anniversary, a day playing in the snow with my grandchildren, watching Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones on Desert Trip, and a quick weekend trip with my kids. . to San Francisco.
I also poured out my heart while caring for my mom who suffered from Lewy body dementia and wrote about her eventual death. I shared my heartbreak when my mother-in-law died of ovarian cancer and my son went through a painful divorce and custody battle that same year. (Ironically, shortly after I started blogging about happiness, I had the worst year of my life.)
Yes, I love to read, which gives me respite from my troubles, but writing is my true escape, escape, and passion. When I write, I focus so much that my problems fade away for a while, giving me a much-needed break. In fact, if you are really a writer, believe me, it is an addiction for life!
The process of putting my thoughts and feelings in writing has comforted me and helped me relive happy moments.
As I wrote about my life, my blog helped me think about what is important to me and determine if my life is going in the right direction.
Since I can’t write about every event, idea, thought, and feeling, blogging provides a kind of filter that clears my life. My blogs have helped me understand what is most meaningful to me. I discovered along the way that sometimes it is the simplest moments that make me the happiest.
Embracing creativity
As a professional writer, my blog gives me wonderful creative freedom to express myself. Not to pop anyone’s balloon, but writing sounds more glamorous than it really is. For most of the past 25 years, I have written articles on topics that magazines, newspapers, publishers, and clients choose for me.
It is true that I have written two young adult books, travel articles, humorous pieces, and stories about fascinating people that were fun. On the other hand, for a living, I have also written articles that bore me to tears. I have tackled technical articles, and a technical book, that gave me an Excedrin headache and drove me crazy. I’ve written on demand, meeting other people’s deadlines, writing late into the night while my brain is desperately trying to quit.
Do not misunderstand. It may sound whiny, but I realize that I am very fortunate to have made a living off something I love. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The fact is that my blog is my baby. I write about topics that interest me and I am passionate about and I hope my audience enjoys it too. My blog allows me to stretch out as a writer, explore, experiment and try new things every time the muse arrives. Writing professionally has given me the discipline to blog every week, but I write my blogs when I choose. And believe me, that’s not at dawn or 10:00 at night! That is luxurious.
So those are some of the ways blogging has changed my life. But, as I mentioned earlier, the big advantage is that blogging can change other people’s lives too.
Some people have left comments letting me know that I have somehow inspired them or provided useful information and that always brings me so much joy. Writing a blog has provided an opportunity to connect with readers and other bloggers, which has been very rewarding.
What kinds of blogs have proven to be the most popular? It’s always interesting to see what resonates and hits the mark. My top ten blogs in order of popularity:
1. Five ways to become a happy and lucky person
Every year, this is my blog with the best performance by far. Merriam-Webster defines happy-go-lucky as gleefully carefree and carefree. Synonyms include personable, laid-back, low-pressure, and personable. I guess we all want some of that!
2. Golden Boys in concert: Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon and Fabian
I was asked to review a book on Bobby Rydell’s autobiography. This led to an interview, free tickets to his Golden Boys concert with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, and a backstage show to meet Rydell in person. This was a nice benefit that came from blogging! The day my concert review was posted on Rydell’s Facebook page, my visitors increased by 3000% during the day. It is not a joke!
3. Keep laughing with the seven menopausal dwarfs
This blog has been in the top three since I started blogging. Hey, it’s laughing or crying during menopause, wouldn’t we all rather laugh?
4. Staying positive despite problems
Everyone has problems that make us feel helpless and defeated, so it doesn’t surprise me that this blog is in the top ten. I offer three simple tips on how we can control our perspective and still choose to be happy despite our problems.
5. What are the happiest moments of your life?
If you look back at your life, what moments would you count as the happiest? What would be your biggest regrets? That’s the question one study asked participants 70 and older. I share the results of his insightful answers on this blog.
6. Why are older people happier than baby boomers?
Aww, my first blog that got my blog off the ground. The idea for this blog was based on studies showing, in general, that older people, and even the younger generation, are happier than us baby boomers. One study confirmed that there is a U-shaped happiness curve with the early 1950s as the lowest point of well-being.
7. Happy as easy as 1-2-3
“I want my day to feel like there is limitless beauty and possibilities and joy to feel, discover, explore and express. And you know what? I can and so can you,” I wrote. This item was discovered on Stumble Upon, which brought me my second record (after Rydell’s concert review) for visitors in one day.
8. Staying happy during menopause
I wrote this article after Hot Flash Daily hired me to write humorous articles on menopause to launch their new website. I had never written humor before, but I had a great time doing it for them! I happily shared it all: the scorching hot flashes, the insane insomnia, the annoying forgetfulness, and the crazy panic attacks that went on for years. Yes, YEARS!
9. Find happiness with grandchildren
This blog was easy to write. Being needed and wanted by these lovely little beings is a wonderful pleasure and privilege. Like many people, I found that the rewards of family life only grew richer and more satisfying as each new grandchild was born.
10. Five Happy Snoopy Quotes
Well, this one surprised me a bit. But hey, don’t we all still love Snoopy? Now that I blog about happiness, I am impressed with the wisdom that Charles M. Schultz’s cartoons contain on the subject.
I loved writing all these articles that turned out to be popular with readers. With that in mind, what is my basic advice for everyone thinking of blogging? Write about your passions. Let your blog teach you life lessons. And finally, enjoy the process. Then you will love blogging as much as I do!
