I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.

Flannery O’Connor

I usually don’t have trouble figuring out what to write about. Many times I start out writing about one thing and it morphs into something else and I go with it because it also seems valid and something I feel comfortable sharing. Yesterday I wanted to write and found myself getting anxious about writing the “right” thing. I’m not sure exactly what I meant by the “right” thing but I felt anxiety. Then I saw that the prompt WordPress gave was “what is your mission?” and I thought it was a good question, in particular, regarding my site. I also thought that the beginning of a new year seemed a good time to evaluate my mission. Why am I blogging?

As I mention on my “About” page, my site has served different purposes over the years and its focus has changed several times. I started my site when I was closing my psychotherapy practice in Seattle so that former clients had a way of getting in touch with me. That was years ago. What’s my mission now? Good question. I’m not exactly sure but I know I like having this site. Maybe the question is why? What about blogging is working for me?

Writing Improves Writing

I’ve never felt like I was a good writer. I mean, my grammar, spelling, and punctuation are fine and I can definitely get across my feelings or the points I want to make but it’s not necessarily easy or something that I looked forward to doing. I’ve always assumed that writing came more easily for others, in particular for the writers whose work I enjoy reading. For me, even a short post involves numerous edits and re-writes. I’ve been told over the last couple of years by a few good writers that they edit quite a bit too and that doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer…it’s just part of writing. So I just kept writing and, honestly, I now look forward to writing and I’ve noticed that my writing has improved. So, if nothing else, it’s nice to feel like something I never thought I’d be good at, is improving. And whether it’s “good” or not is subjective; if I’m enjoying it and getting something out of it, it’s worthwhile. Self-love baby!

Blogging to Keep A Dream Alive

I try not to pay too much attention to how many views I get but recently I saw that even though I get more traffic the more I write, the times my traffic has been the highest was when I was in Italy. That makes sense to me, who doesn’t want to read about and see pictures of Italy? As many know, my dream is to one day live in Italy. It feels like that dream has its fits and starts, that it looks hopeful and I have ideas on how to possibly make it happen and then it becomes more nebulous and I lie low on actively figuring it out. Now I have a page just for my Italy adventures and I can return to it whenever I want. Sometimes it’s fun for me to look back and see where I was when I stated that to live in Italy was a dream of mine and then to see what has transpired since then and to read about all the serendipitous twists and turns that have already taken place. Italy is never far from my mind and I’m studying the language a little bit every day. I just started using Duo Lingo on my phone each morning and am really having fun with it. I know more than I realized. (Note: I recently added a donation block on my Italy page in case people want to support my dream. Let me know if that’s a turn-off.)

My Site is a Platform to Share What I’ve Learned and Experienced

When I started to blog, I honestly thought I’d write mostly about things related to mental health and mindfulness and while I have written quite a bit on that, it’s been fun to write about other topics that interest me too. I’ve always wanted to write about the inner life and use my personal experiences as well as my education and 3-decade work history in the field of mental health to inform my writings. I know a lot on this topic. One mission is to inspire. It’s not easy being alive. We all come with challenges and pains and I want my messages to be full of hope. I truly believe that if there’s one message I can share with the world, it’s that this life is about perseverance. And that we cannot do it all on our own. We need each other. The more we explore and understand our inner lives, and the more we learn to love ourselves and know what that looks like, and surround ourselves with people who are trustworthy and who care, the easier it is to live more joyfully and from a place of authenticity.

Having a Site Requires Learning New Technological Skills

Technology is not my strong-suit. I want to have a more aesthetically pleasing site. I read posts from other WP bloggers on how to improve things and it makes so much sense but when I go to do it, my ideas fizzle and it all feels clunky. I’m still working on it and. I’ll keep plugging away at it. I’ll keep learning…

There is a Lovely Blogging Community

I only started reading other blogs about a year ago. I’m not sure why it took me so long. I was clearly missing out…there are some really interesting and creative sites. Now I read other sites frequently and I follow a few of them. And others have started reading and following mine, too, and saying encouraging things. I really appreciate this community. It has been a welcomed surprise.

Final Thoughts: It Keeps Me Connected

While my mission is clearly a work-in-progress and not tightly married to one purpose, I have mentioned several good reasons why I blog. I see how blogging is part of my growth-journey and I’m grateful for it. I want to thank my friends (many -probably mostly- in Seattle, and locally -Brad, and Peg) who read my ramblings. I feel like you read them with love and encouragement rather than judgement or a critical eye and that means the world to me. It also feels like a way we stay connected. Thank you.