Let’s get our coffee, sip and stay for a while. It doesn’t get much more honest than this confession. It’s about the cold, hard truth about blogging.
Blogging is a weird thing. I tried two times before this blog to do a personal blog and found that I didn’t have much to write about.
I didn’t think I had anything to share. DEFINITELY didn’t think I was creative at all. Didn’t really know what to talk about.
I started researching how to make money from home and an article on blogging came up. A year ago, I had no idea people were making money doing this. Suddenly I had things to write about. Ha!
I started this with the idea that I would monetize it someday. (If you are clueless like I was, you can make money through businesses advertising on your site if you get enough readers each day). And I am at the point now where a few businesses are interested in partnering with me and this just might happen.
But this is a struggle for me. Blogging can be really self involved. Well, not can be it IS. It’s all about MY thoughts, MY projects, MY number of readers, MY comments, ME encouraging others.
This is what I struggle with the most I think. Remembering what my priorities are. And that it’s NOT about me even though I keep making it that way.
I feel like God is constantly challenging me with what my motives really are with all of this. If I make a LOT of money one day, then will it be worth it? Then will I be happy? Content?
The answer is no. I will always be wanting more if that’s my main motivation.
But the real motivation for this is to form a real relationship with you. I am so grateful I have you. Reading this. I learn so much from you. And I get goosebumps when I feel God in the middle of it all through your comments, kindness, encouragement. I want us to experience this life and these stages together. I want to take advantage of this super connected world we live in and through the internet connect with you, wherever you’re at, in the moments when we both need encouragement the most.
I want you to know the God I know. I want to know Him more through our connections and what we learn from each other. That’s my main focus. He is my main focus.
Jimmy and I had a really good talk about this last night and this blog is one of the most challenging things I’ve done in a lot of ways because it’s really easy to lose sight of what I am doing and why I am doing it. It’s really easy to make this all about me. And comes pretty naturally for me to do that, unfortunately. But when I think about all the money in the world OR a connection with you that shows us both who God is, I realize the latter is worth more to me.
Truly.
When I think about that the money seems so stupid.
So, I guess God knew that the entrepreneur in me would snap to attention when I thought about monetizing a blog. But I’m pretty sure He wanted to show me something else. A lot of what I wasn’t expecting.
It is truly freeing to keep an eternal perspective. When I die I don’t want my tombstone to say, “This girl made a lot of money on a blog. And now she’s dead.” (Sorry, a little morbid).
I want it to say something about how I loved my God, my husband, my kids and my friends with all of me. And mostly that I acknowledged that any good thing I did was from Him. That I let God use me. That He lived in every ounce of me. That nothing was wasted.
Waste not, want not. Or something like that.
Good talk, friend. See you back here sippin’ on our coffee soon.
I’ve been thinking about this in awhile now but I’m also having a different problem (not important to mention) and I can’t do a blog for money….for me that will be amazing because of my country (a poor country) and being a student….If you don’t have a job it could be a great way to make money and stay home to raise your children well.
Diana, thanks for your comment. It WOULD be a great way for me to make money from home so I could still be with my kids each day. I guess we will see if it ever happens and where God takes this whole thing! Thanks so much for reading and have a great rest of your week!
Very interesting! I’ve started a blog but not published any posts because I’m just not sure I’m committed… or maybe just not confident enough. I like yours because you’re so honest and I find that alot of the blogs I read make me feel like I could do better.. because other mums are superheros?!
Kimberley, Thanks so much for the comment. It means a lot to me that you feel that way about this blog. And I would encourage you to try it! The first post I ever posted was the biggest adrenaline rush because it was so scary to think people will read your thoughts! Scary! But, it has been so freeing and therapuetic in a lot of ways and so worth it. Like I said, I have learned so much through it and one of the biggest challenges is to be REAL and honest. For me at least. But that’s pretty important because what’s the point if I’m not? I have seen a lot of blogs that make me feel inferior as well, and that isn’t helping anyone. Being honest does because we can all relate to not having enough patience, not being the best at everything and THAT is what everyone goes through. Whether we share it all the time or not. Keep on, Kimberley! Let me know when you post:)