photo credit: Kristina B
"A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle." ~ Anonymous
Note: This post is a collaborative effort between myself and Lisis, from Quest for Balance. Lisis' contributions appear in the shaded boxes.
I recently had a conversation with Lisis, who has become a wonderful blogging friend this past year. In the course of that conversation, she said something that was deeply touching to me.
"When I started blogging, I wanted to be just like Seth Godin (reaching the masses, and having them think each and every word I wrote was brilliant). Now, almost a year later, I want to be more like YOU. It's not ABOUT having people admire my writing. What matters is that people want to feel heard, and appreciated."
I let those words soak into my soul. And I started to think about what this all really does mean to me. Today I share these words from Lisis with you, as she and I talk about what this blogging experience has come to mean to each of us.
I think back to when this journey here begin for me, to the spring of 2008. Blogging…an outlet to write. And so I did. And I did this under a veil of anonymity. No pictures of me. No full name or location disclosures. And I wrote with this idea that maybe someone might find some meaning in my words. What I didn't think about at the time was how deeply connecting the sharing of words, the writing of stories, could be.
Blogging is a way for me to share my heart with others, to reach out to people, and help them find their way through difficult situations.
So, I see life as a journey, one that is filled with many bends along the way. Part of this journey has become this site, and all of you who come here and read these words. Maybe they do touch upon something for you. See, that's something I'll never know for sure, the full impact of what I have written. Maybe you read these words, and find some meaning as you go about your day, your week, your life. Perhaps there's something here that touches something deeper for you.
The only writing I've ever done is in my personal journals, and the reason they are now online is because someone else may find comfort in them. Blogging is my announcement to the world that says, "I'm here, I care, and I'm a really good listener… you are not alone." If I can get that message across, and make a difference in someone's life, then I've accomplished what I set out to do.
What began as just some anonymous writing, has become much more about that deeper connection with what matters in life, about that desire I believe that we all have to feel connected, appreciated, cared for, loved. If I can somehow leave you with any of this, that is success.
There are so many blogs that cater to readers who are basically getting by in life, and aiming to become hugely successful. Quest for Balance is my way of reaching out to readers who are just trying to get by at all, struggling to get through each day, because their real (or imagined) challenges are a burden too great to bear alone. When I find people who feel they are in total darkness, I try to provide a glimmer of hope, a tiny light that shows them there IS a way out. Sometimes, that's all it takes to find the strength to move in a whole new direction.
Blogging has evolved to be a very personal and connecting experience for me. If I have somehow, touched another soul, through these written words, that is enough. It matters not how many subscribers I have…if the words I share have not touched upon something deeper and more meaningful. If this message is one that someone has experienced in some personal way, then having created this blog has been good.
One of the greatest benefits of blogging, which I never could have anticipated, is meeting so many wonderful, loving, caring, compassionate people from around the world. If I had the means, I'd go visit every one of them to thank them for their uplifting presence in my life. In my effort to reach out to others, all sorts of new friends in distant places have in turn embraced me, and made my world infinitely brighter.
This is what blogging has come to mean to both Lisis and I. There is no one right way, and this is only one experience, of many.
A very special thank you to Lisis, for sparking the idea for this post, and sharing her own personal and meaningful thoughts. Lisis writes from her heart and connects very deeply with her readers. Keep up with her by subscribing to her blog and following her on Twitter.