Happy Blogversary To Me!

Today is my 1 year blogversary. Wow. 1 year. 
   I can't believe it.

      Quite honestly I never thought I would have enough commitment to carry this for 1 whole year. But here we are...November 30.

      So, in honour of this milestone in my blogging career I decided to write out a couple things that blogging has taught me and things to keep in mind if you're a blogger/want to be a blogger yourself.

Here it goes.

1. To have an opinion. So many times I would sit back in class, not participating in anything. Why? Because I didn't think I had anything important to say. But, this last year has taught me that I have a unique and important perspective that I need to share.

2. Blogging is not a popularity contest. Well, maybe it is. But it shouldn't be. I try to be intentional enough with my posts not to "post for the sake of posting something" - trust me, that wouldn't be a good thing! Then you would get a whole bunch of useless, meaningless posts about nothing. I like you guys too much to make you read random stuff that comes out of my head!

3. Comparison is the thief of joy. Too many times I have looked at other people's blogs and wished mine were like that. They have more followers than me; their layout is much nicer; they get more views in a week than I get in a month and so on and so forth. This needs to stop. When I look at my blog I am proud of it. It's only when I start comparing it to others that it seems that it is not good enough. Isn't that how it is in life?!

4. I am my own worst critic. Seriously. I find myself reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading some more before, after and months after I post things. Grammar and spelling errors are a pet peeve of mine especially in cases were they can be avoided (thank the Lord for spellcheck!) so I am constantly looking over my future, present and past posts to make sure they make sense.

5. Always blog with an "encouraging" mindset. This has been a rule that I've recently established for myself. There are enough negative, complaining people on the Internet, and I don't want to be one of them. I want to be set apart. I wanted a place where I could be encouraged, where I could connect with my single sisters in Christ. I wanted a place that didn't seem like a "self-help" book, or that was filled with unrealistic expectations. I wanted somewhere real; somewhere I could talk about my struggles. Encouragement will always be one of my main purposes for writing Living as a Single Gal, and I hope that's why you read it and are able to relate to many of the things I talk about.

5. I am not alone. One of the most terrifying nights over the last year was the night I posted my first blog post. I was scared, worried, uneasy. What would people think of it? What would people think of me? Well, I can honestly say that all that worrying was for nothing. The day after I posted my first blog post I got an overwhelming response by friends and family. So much love was given to me. And over the last year I have gotten to know you guys as readers. This has helped me know that I AM NOT ALONE (and neither are you).  

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading. 
Thank you for walking alongside me this past year; you've been a blessing to me.