Things I wish I knew before becoming a blogger
A little background:
When I started this blog a little over 2 years ago, I was creating from a place of unresolved trauma. I lost A LOT in a very short amount of time…
I lost love, friendships, a job and family matters became surreal. I was betrayed, rejected, lost and humiliated. Quite honestly, I felt worthless and I began isolating myself.
I woke up to a new world that felt extremely foreign and lonely. I didn’t want to face the debris and vacancy of the new world I was thrown into… I wanted to go back to my old reality even though I knew it was crushing me.
During this time, I wrote privately, meditated and read books every single day. I was searching for answers as to why this was happening to me. I couldn’t see this at the time but it wasn’t happening to me, it was happening for me. My new/ unfamiliar world was mine to rebuild and create. I now truly understand how intimate, raw and powerful that growth period was for me.
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When I was in my rock bottom I remember thinking that I would never willingly put myself through this ever again. But that’s changed… a lot has changed since then. I would go through every betrayal, rejection and humiliation that shattered me if that means finding my resilience, passions and the purpose I have today.
This blog has been my retreat, release and greatest source of happiness. The majority of this blog has been me expanding my own awareness, making sense of my own thoughts, emotions and experiences… It’s held me to a higher standard; one where I have to hold myself accountable in practicing what I preach, and for that I am extremely grateful for and humbled by.
I just wish I had insight and support from someone who has walked a similar path… That’s what I hope this article will be for you today.
Here are the things I wish I was made aware of before starting a blog:
Social media causes anxiety
We fear the unknown. Sharing your gifts, especially during the early stages is a very scary thing. We don’t know how it’s going to be received, if we will have supporters, if we can make a living doing so, etc… trust me, I GET IT. We are walking up to a stage that might as well be a cliff we are about to free fall off of.
But this I know for certain… anxiety stemming from social media is self-inflicted and self-induced. WE are the ones creating our own fear and self-sabotaging dialogue.
This is literally the picture that pops up in my headspace anytime I find myself getting anxious, worried or envious over something I see someone else sharing/ pursuing on social media:
Stop looking, stop comparing. You are on your own path.
Be extremely mindful of how you are using social media - are you creating or consuming content?
Others will create false perceptions of you
And it’s none of your damn business.
I publicly explore topics people consider to be too taboo to vocalize even amongst their friend groups. I find it simultaneously interesting and sad. We live in a world that has never had more tools to communicate yet we are communicating less.
If you decide to publicly share parts of yourself with the world, be prepared for them to experience your gifts through their own level of awareness. People will judge things they are envious or fearful of. Others will resonate with things that are relatable to their past, present and future, and they will find you magnetic. These are your people - focus on them, build with them and serve them.
If people’s perceptions of you are based on their own level of awareness, then it is literally a FALSE perception of your reality. The only person who is experiencing your reality through your senses is yourself… Therefore anyone trying to interpret, judge or criticize you/ your work is doing so from a fragmented perception. If you can digest this ^ and spend less time worrying about false perceptions, I promise you, this will help build your momentum.
Inaction breeds self-doubt
As a creator, I find fulfillment in creating and sharing my work with people. But I’ve noticed that when I stop creating- when I get in my head and let time pass, I feel insecure, stuck and unmotivated. Inaction breeds self-doubt. When you find yourself in the mental loop of insecurity and fear of the unknown, you have to do the opposite: DO (take action). The opposite is your medicine.
I understand feeling insecure and fearing the unknown to the point where you’d rather shut down and shut the world out. But this is not the medicine. The opposite is the medicine, remember? When you experience these emotions, you have to fight through them by ‘doing’ and creating evidence that contradicts your self-sabotaging thoughts.
Content and consistency are King
Something I’ve always told myself is this: “You can slow down but you must NEVER stop”. Sure, slow down, go easy on yourself if that’s what your mind, body and soul needs. But do not stop. You can only fail if you stop.
I’m not writing any of this to scare you or talk you out of pursuing your passions as a blogger or content creator. I’m saying this to prepare you and because I wish I had someone give me insight on the potential internal battles I’d be facing.
Like I said above, creating this blog and community has been one of the most impactful things I have ever done: I get to help people heal and expand their own awareness by sharing my deepest thoughts, emotions and values.
I’d love to know what you’re working on or working through. Send me a DM via Instagram :)
With love,
Stephanie
