Tuesday, August 18, 2015

10 Lessons I've Learned From Blogging

In my 38 years, I've learned  a lot of lessons in life. I've learned things from my mom, from my dad, from playing sports, and even from my kids! In fact, I fancy myself so wise that I've even spouted off some lessons for others. I once shared some advice for young moms based on a few things I have learned along he way and my all time favorite post is a list of lessons I hope I am teaching my daughters

Sometimes, we experience things, like parenting, that we know will change the way we look at the world, but we can't fully grasp it until we experience it. Other times, we learn valuable lessons from things we never expected to really teach us much of anything. When I started this blog over 5 years ago, it was completely on a whim. Since then, it has gone from a super sporadic hobby to an all consuming obsession and back to a somewhat more obsession that I still struggle to balance. In retrospect, I realize that blogging has actually taught me a lot about life and that is something I never, ever expected.

  1. People are Mean - At least, some people are. There are people out there who read a blog post, assume they know everything there is to know about the author, and proceed to fling horrific, hurtful insults at the author. I've seen it far too many times. I know a blogger who even received death threats over something she wrote. Fortunately, I've only been the victim of such abuse a couple times, but it always stings and always amazes me how malicious people can be.
  2. People are also fiercely loyal and supportive - Although the blogging world is humongous, within it are some very highly knot groups of friends. When those trolls rear their ugly heads, we can usually count on our tribe to have our backs. They will jump right in to comfort you, support you, and put the nasty commenters in their places. 
  3. Words are powerful - I knew this on some level before I started blogging- it's why I have always loved writing. However, blogging has shown me the power of words on a whole new level. Those horrible comments? They happen because people are passionate and the words of the author has evoked powerful emotions. Words can show us that we are not alone in our experiences. They can bring us comfort, commiseration, and joy.
     Tweet: Blogging has shown me the power of words on a whole new level. #TuesdayTen - @TheGoldenSpoons http://bit.ly/1JeOmZzBlogging has shown me the power of words on a whole new level. #TuesdayTen - @TheGoldenSpoons http://bit.ly/1JeOmZz

  4. The internet is a powerful tool - The words that are so powerful are fueled and spread by the internet. Through social media we can connect with people from around the world and form meaningful friendships with people we have never met in person.
  5. Writing takes practice - Some people have a knack for math; some have a knack for crafting; some, like me, have a knack for writing. Like any skill, though, writing gets better with practice. I can look back at some of the first blog posts I wrote and see that my writing has come a long way since then. 
  6. How to accept rejection - My writing has certainly improved over time, but even my best is sometimes rejected by other sites. Rejection is never an easy pill to swallow and it still stings. But, I have been rejected a lot and I have learned that other bloggers have, too. I venture to say that all of us (except maybe the really "big guns") are rejected far more than we are accepted. I've learned not to take it too personally and to keep on trying.
  7. Numbers don't tell the whole story - Bloggers sometimes place a lot of emphasis on numbers. How many page views does my blog get? How many times was it share don Facebook or Twitter? How do my numbers compare to others' numbers? I've learned, though, that numbers aren't everything. They don't indicate how loyal your following is, even if it's small. They don't tell you how much your words have impacted other people.
  8. Time away is essential. I don't earn an income form blogging like some people do, so, for me, blogging truly is a hobby more than a job. Still, I have found that it can stress me out and burn me out. Every now and then, I need to take a break; to walk away form all of it in order to refresh and rejuvenate.
  9. People want to know they are not alone. I think one reason blogging has taken off is that people want to connect with others who are experiencing the same struggles and emotions they are. They want a sense of camaraderie and understanding from people what are in the same stage of life or from people who have been there, done that an lived to tell bout it.

  10. I am not alone. I didn't set out to form friendships and connections through blogging - it was simply a fortunate side effect. I am so thankful to have a "tribe;" a group of people who share my life through the internet and, in turn, share theirs with me; a village of sorts that supports me and cares for me. They are the best part of blogging even though they were the most unexpected element. When I want to throw in the towel, they are what keeps me coming right back here to this little space on the world wide web.



Have you ever had a experience that taught you some unexpected lessons?


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18 comments:

Janine Huldie said...

I have learned all of the above, too from blogging and couldn't agree more especially about those that are loyal followers, as well as not basing all on our numbers even as tempting as it may be.

Kirstenjill Hudkins Robbins said...

You are definitely not alone, Lisa! And yes, some people are mean as snakes....but then you find those gems in the mix that make it all worth the effort.

Julie S. said...

So true, blogging teaches us so much about ourselves and lets us connect with others in similar situations :) We also learn some great technical things too.

Angela Caswell said...

Great post. Love these lessons, as I'm still learning in this blogging world.

Tamara Bowman said...

Oh, definitely about all of this. I think the internet in general has taught me how mean people can be, and also how awesome. I think the good always outnumbers the bad.
And yes, we all need blogging breaks. As for rejection, I'm still not there yet. Sadly.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

It took me a while to figure out the numbers one, but I'm really glad I did!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Exactly! I am very non-confrontational by nature and it never ceases to amaze me what awful things people will say in blog comments. I'm so thankful for the loyal, supportive friendships blogging has given me!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Ah, yes! The tech stuff!! I didn't even touch that! I'm still no expert but I have learned so much!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Hopefully, we're always still learning! :-)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I still struggle with rejection, but I used to let it crush me. And, yes - I definitely think the good outnumbers the bad - thank goodness!

Leanne@crestingthehill said...

there are so many positives that blogging brings about and it's good to know that there is a lot more love than hate happening - and rejections sucks, but if you put yourself out there I guess it builds character :)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Building character - that's a great way to look at it! :-)

Kristi - Finding Ninee said...

These are the lessons that I've learned, too. When you said that your blog has gone from a sporadic hobby to an obsession I had to laugh because I was so there a while ago. Now it's more back to a sporadic hobby since I'm not sure what I want to do with it any longer. Also the friendships. Loyalty. That part is HUGE.

Dana said...

#9 is so important - blogging can be a lifeline for people who truly feel alone in the world. I love how blogging has connected me with people who I would never meet in real life - I feel like my blogging friends are a much more diverse group than my in-person friends.

Stacey Gannett said...

I absolutely love this Lisa! I am just now catching up, when I need to be writing this week's post! LOL! I totally agree with you, people can be mean, though I have been lucky so far but I know it will happen at some point. And definitely the tribe is the most amazing benefit to this whole blogging journey. I sure would not trade it for the world! Have a great week!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yep. It became an obsession, so I had to deliberately scale it back. I thought about quitting altogether a few times, but it was the friendships and loyalty that kept (and still keep) me going.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I agree completely. I am mostly an introvert, but blogging has allowed me to come out of my shell a bit and make lots of great new friends.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I have only had mean commenters a couple times and always when I had a piece on a larger site. I love my blogging friends and I'm so thankful for my tribe.

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