Happy 2nd Birthday to my blog: Thoughts on blogging

It is very hard to believe that I have been writing this blog for two years. It’s been an amazing adventure and a true labor of love.

When I started writing in June of 2011, I was unsure of where this idea, project, whatever you want to call it, would take me. Beginnings are almost always the most difficult part of projects. This blog experience has had its highs and lows and in-betweens. 

Google Analytics is a daily reminder of those highs and lows. There have been months where I hardly had time to do my “real” job and balance all the other duties and commitments I have, let alone think of something to write about. Actually, I have plenty of topics. A whole BOOK of them I have jotted down over the past two years. It is often a matter of find the time and energy to commit the thoughts, and there are MANY, to paper.

I regularly receive requests for advice about writing a blog. It can be frustrating because it isn’t a formula. What works for some people, may not work for others.  I can only give my own experiences and thoughts on the topic. There are plenty of books and articles about the practice and methodology of writing blogs, books, whatever. From my own perception and experience, I will give the following advice.

Write what you know: In the words of one of my favorite female general officers, “Don’t make shit up.”

Think before you write. Don’t write for the sake of writing.

Be true to yourself. Copying or mimicking other people’s work is never cool.

Take your time. Better to do three terrific blog posts a month than ten mediocre ones.

Blogging isn’t for everyone. Make an honest assessment of your writing abilities. If they are lacking, better to write a journal.

Write with passion, enthusiasm, and integrity. But realize that you will be judged and scrutinized on what you write. If you aren’t willing to take chances and face criticism, blogging isn’t for you.

And last but not least, remember:

Blogging is an on-going learning experience and an evolution. If you do it right, your writing SHOULD improve. Look at your work, take advice from others, and hone your craft.

So, here’s to another year! I look forward to sharing my journey with you all! 

THANK YOU for your support, encouragement, and helping to share the blog with others!!! I couldn’t do this without all of you.

It isn’t a fad. Trust me- Social Media is here to stay! My Guest Blog Post on Diamonds, Dogtags & Diapers

I met Diana, last year, at the Military Blog Conference and we've been digital besties ever since. I left the post topic up to her, and by surprise she wrote this post that is near and dear to my heart. 

See entire blog post here:
It isn’t a fad. Trust me- Social Media is here to stay!

A great way to end 2012- Reaching 50,000 views on my blog

This morning I woke up to a wonderful gift- I hit the number of 50,000 page views for my blog.

When I started writing in June of 2011, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine 50,000 views!

So after a year and a half and 89 posts later, with viewers from all over the globe, I have achieved something I could never have foreseen in the beginning.

Many people ask me, “How did you get started?”  The answer is pretty much what you would expect- you just take that leap and go for it. You write them one at a time (at least I do) and hope you can find inspiration for the next one!

 I have had so many sources of inspiration in the last year and a half. To be honest, I have had more inspiration than I have had time or energy. In spite of moments of frustration, doubt, and exhaustion, I have managed to follow through with my goal to continue writing. Some days I want to write, and I simply can’t find the time or the energy to do so, which makes me feel very bad about myself.

If I had my way, I would write more often, but I have to accept the limitations I currently face. I work full-time and since I write most of the day in my job, it is very difficult to muster up the energy to do more writing in the evening. I am working on solutions and means to address this issue, and always love to hear advice from other writers!

Where do you find the time and energy to write when you don’t seem to have enough of the two? Balancing family life, relaxation time, and all life’s mundane chores is something we all have to do. When you are a writer, you have an added facet to the equation.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone for reading and following AND SHARING my blog. I fully intend to increase my writing stamina and FIND time, by more effective time management and prioritization, to write more often AND IMPROVE my posts. I appreciate comments, ideas, and encourage a conversation. Seriously, please contact me if there is a topic or area you would like me to write about and I will do my best to address it.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK

 YOU! 

And for those of you who have been truly instrumental in making this happen, well...

 

 I am sincerely looking forward to reaching 100,000 by the end of 2013!!! Let’s make it happen.  

Happy Birthday to my blog: One year later

Last year on the 9^th of June, I took a leap and wrote my first blog post. It took me a few years to actually take that step, but once I did, there was no turning back!

I have learned a great deal in the past year. I’ve learned about following a dream, and carrying it through.  It has been a great journey and I am looking forward to continuing and expanding on the dream.

I feel good about the last year and the blog’s progression. Writing down the thoughts, rants, opinions, encouragements, feelings and musing I have inside my head has been a great exercise. It has improved my ability to communicate and allowed my creativity to flow in all sorts of directions.

Most days I wish I had more time, energy, motivation, and discipline to write more often. Balancing the writing I do for “work” and what I do for myself continues to be a challenge.

I look forward to the future and the next year. I am hoping to make some big improvements and am working on increasing readership and interaction. I had hoped to reach 20,000 views by the end of today, but I am thrilled, humbled, and overjoyed to have reached 19,783. A year ago, I could not have guessed that I would have reached that number!

I want to sincerely thank those people who have done so much to help me promote and advertise my blog. They certainly know who they are. Because of them and their incredible generosity and loyal support, I have reached readers I never would have without their endorsement and promotion.

I am always looking for ways to improve and enhance my work. I would love to see more comments on each post, as communication and opinions are very important and valuable.

Please continue to share and communicate with your friends and personal networks. This blog is meant to be shared and the purpose of sharing is to give people a chance to see my work, and hopefully it will be meaningful or interesting to them.

The greatest joy a writer has it to share their words with others. I hope to share with an even greater audience and improve as a writer and a person in the meantime. We’ll see what it’s like June 9, 2013. It should be interesting to see where this goes!

AGAIN, many, many, many thanks for your continued support and encouragement. I am TRULY and sincerely grateful.

The adult version of “What I learned on my summer vacation “

Summer is almost over and I am taking this opportunity to reflect on some recent happenings of the last few months, both in my personal life and the world in general. And what a summer it has been!

The past few months have been more eventful and action-packed than I can begin to describe. Here in the United States, our government has certainly had a tumultuous summer to remember. Wall Street has seen its share of drama. The weather and other natural disasters has caused billions of dollars in damage and thousands of lives lost. Within this last week there have been earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and tropical storms pounding the east coast.

Globally, there is economic and political disaster looming in many nations. There are wars and famine and revolutions happening at this very moment. People are dying by the millions of hunger, disease, political, religious and ethnic violence. The past few months have witnessed bloody unrest, danger, fear and misery to multitudes of human beings. You don’t have to be a philosopher for all of these occurrences to give a person pause to think about these events and what they mean.

"Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating."
- Karl Von Clausewitz

“Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.” - Eckhart Tolle

“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” - Lao Tzu

Wiser people than I have written these words and the thoughts and message conveyed are timeless and apply to everyone. But how, in the face of all the recent tragedy and loss, can these sentiments be true or even rational?  

As we reflect on the turmoil that this summer has wrought, and the upheavals which have been taking place, we should perhaps focus on something bigger than ourselves and the immediate circumstances that can give us some measure of hope; or even the possibility of a belief in the greater good in the world. Perhaps in order to find some intellectual meaning or understanding in the “who, what, where and when” of recent events, we have to look within our own soul and our mind for the answer. But how do we find peace and calm amid the chaos and terror?

Life is not fair. It took me a long time to digest that old platitude. It seems so unbalanced and cynical, but in fact, it is staggeringly simple in its truth and complexity. Why and how is it that during a natural disaster, one house is smashed to bits and all contained inside are killed while across the street, there is no damage and all inside are safe and sound? How do we find a way to make sense of that random situation with such a tragic outcome? Well, that’s tricky.

Many people, me included, find comfort and solace in their spiritual faith and belief in a higher power. Some people find their comfort in thinking things out philosophically or practically. And some will simply have to find a scapegoat or become jaded, angry and cynical in order to quench their need find understanding or acceptance.
When all is said and done, each of us travels his or her own path to acceptance and understanding of the way the world works and the mysteries that occur every day. It is a daily struggle for most attempting to work through all the events that happen in our lifetime.

What I do believe and have come to understand, is that life- as terrifying, sad, unfair or heartbreaking on the worst day- is also filled with moments of sublime joy, astonishing beauty and unforgettable goodness. The triumph of the human heart and spirit, in the face of brutality, misery and suffering, is enough to strengthen even the most hardened person and inspire hope in the most hopeless. You simply have to open up and allow yourself to accept and have the courage to believe.

These recent events, which have brought so many people, from so many places, worry and pain, are simply a part of our imperfect world and the imperfect people who populate it. The natural disasters, while daunting and destructive, have no agenda or malice. They simply are.

Perhaps we must learn to accept that these events are a part of life, as are the individual disappointments and tragedies we encounter in our daily personal lives, in the tiny corners of the world that we encounter every day.

So, as I end my “summer vacation”, I am attempting to learn from the past few months and be as grateful, serene, compassionate and mindful of the good things, the just things, the blessings, joys and miracles around me. And to also accept the sad, tragic and disruptive without allowing the latter to drive me to cynicism, anger, or despair. Life is a beautiful and precious gift- imperfect and painful- yet priceless beyond measure.

What I have learned, and continue to learn, is that it is best to live each day as if it were your last. Love and forgive as if there was no tomorrow. And practice compassion and caring as if the world depended on it… because it does.

To blog or not to blog...

THAT is the question. When a person makes the decision to begin a blog, they usually have an idea of what that blog is going to be about; and it is usually something that they have personal experience with or an interest in. There are blogs on practically every topic and something for every reader. The internet contains a wealth of really excellent writers who blog on myriads of topics, interests, activities and opinions.

I love honest, sincere, thoughtful postings that have interesting information, or are just entertaining. I have been moved to tears by the honesty and open quality of some blogs. They have dignity and convey the situation with a sense of style or wit.

When an author can tell their story in a way that makes you understand, with feeling, emotion and wonder, they are reaching out to unknown people who may be able to relate to the topic and benefit from it. That is a powerful and wonderful thing to experience!

I enjoy reading all kinds of blogs, especially those related to writing, but nothing interests me more than "real life" blogs, those which are written to share a personal journey with readers. I can't resist a writer's ability to share their own personal experiences or adventures in a mature, compelling and honest way.

Okay, now that I have gotten that out of the way,  here's the real point- How much information is too much? While I understand the concept of "keeping it real", there is a point of "TMI" or too much information. Unfortunately, there are some blog writers who simply lost their filter or have no boundaries whatsoever. I find this type of blog distracting and unfortunate.

As an avid blog reader, I have come across blogs that contain, in my humble opinion,  personal information that borders on the inappropriate. While there may be a market for voyeuristic and overly intimate content, by and large, blogs that hope to be taken seriously and a respectable following usually steer clear of glaringly inappropriate details that add little to the blog besides giving it a freakishly overt slant.

I  have literally been embarrassed for a few blog authors because their content, which was exclusively personal and about themselves, was so over-the-top with painfully personal details. Very few readers need to know every detail of a private relationship, unless of course, you are Carrie Bradshaw of "Sex in the City" fame. That's already been done, so it probably shouldn't be imitated.

In my opinion, the world needs less of that level of relationship sharing for the world to see and know about. Yes, readers can benefit from understanding the author's personal background, marital status and situations which have happened in their life. But, at a certain point the blog becomes the author's therapy or unburdening that is best saved for a private journal or a real-life therapist office. Making the readers "confidants" is sad, and can be an invasion of privacy for the individuals who are part of "the story".

It is uncomfortable to imagine the horror a person would feel upon realizing that their personal life was used as content fodder for another's blog. It show a lack of sound judgement. In a good blog, there truly needs to be healthy boundaries between a reader and the author.

My hope is that authors who believe this type of blogging will bring them more readers, and it may, will understand that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should do something. Putting one's intimate and private details on the internet to grasp attention, or for self-esteem issues, is not advisable or something to feel proud of. Less, truly is, more when it comes to posting extremely personal details in a blog.  I hope my insights will give some authors pause before they make this mistake.

                           "The secret of being a bore is to tell everything." - Voltaire

Where to begin?

In the beginning... there was THE BLOG-  What does it mean?  We hear it all the time, but what exactly is a blog?

"A blog (a blend of the term web log)^[1] is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog." - (thanks, Wikipedia)

Hmmm, that's not exactly what I had in mind, so, let's read further-

"Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts."

Yes, that's more like it. I love the idea of sharing videos, articles, and having a place to unleash my thoughts, feelings and general observations on life, love, relationships, the world, existence, you name it!

I also like the interactive part. But I could be doing this all on a social media site. And I certainly DO! But, a blog is a lot more personal and indepth. Less quick and dirty and more thoughtful and exploratory. Facebook just doesn't cut it if you actually love writing. Anyone can use Facebook, right? There's no true skill or talent or actually any real thought. It's like instant pudding. It tastes ok, but there is nothing to really savor. Hopefully, I will be able to convey some thoughts and ideas to savor. It's taken me a long time to feel ready for this, and so, I am taking the plunge into a blog.

I am so tardy to this party. I know, that's no way to start one's blogging career. But it is really true. I have been planning this day for a few years. I have purchased a few domain names and have not gotten around to getting them set up. I am hopelessly lost as far as the technical side of this business is concerned. I will require a great deal of assistance with the other blogs I am scheming on. BUT, I simply got tired of procrastinating and waiting around for that magical day to arrive. This adventure is a "dream come true" for me. I put it off for too long because I was waiting for the "perfect time". There is no such thing. Sometimes you simply have to jump right in!

So, here I am, doing this the low-tech way. No super high-tech bells and whistles. My maiden voyage through the blogosphere. I have a great deal to say, and each day I have less time to say it. My postings and musing are only for my facebook friends and those who follow some of my other pursuits. I will probably use this site to enlighten, opine, share, occasionally rant, and I will say what I mean and try so very hard not to say it meanly. Although, considering that there is always someone in the room who will be offended, my good intentions may have to suffice.

So, for this, my first posting, I will keep it straight and to the point. I love writing. I always have and I imagine I always will. I have neglected my poor inner muse and have put off challenging myself for far too long. I write for other people and other organizations and most of my hard work and labors will never be attributed to me or see the light of day. That just isn't good enough anymore.

One caveat, my words and this blog are my own thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas. I don't speak for any group or organization or engage in discussions that would or could risk my current career. So, if you are looking for any political banter or partisan cheerleading- sorry, there won't be any. This is going to be a thoughtful and possibly insightful blog. I am hoping to stay clear of potentially conflicting interests. Worlds colliding is not my cup of tea. I am not fanatical or fundamental enough to throw myself into the chasm of unemployment over some politician or provocative cause. This is going to be a very low-key and, hopefully, enjoyable little piece of my mind.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I can start thinking of all kinds of topics and musings to share. Comments and feedback are welcome if they are sincere, direct and to the point. And I want everyone to play nice. I know being sarcastic, snarky and ironically nasty is in fashion, but I prefer clever, cheeky and naughty. It's more my style. AND this is my blog. If you want snarky and nasty, hey- write your own blog. There's an audience for everyone!!!

So, here we go. As they say, "You have to start somewhere." Here is where I am starting and it's a new beginning. I hope you will join me on my adventure.

Alea iacta est 

- go ahead  GOOGLE IT, you know you want to!-

And if you are wondering about the name associated with this blog- DCgal62, that is my social media name. It isn't very interesting or in the least bit insightful. I created it a long time ago when I was in my social media infancy and in retrospect, I should have picked something cooler. Alas, we learn. But, it is now something I have associated myself with professionally and so... that's my story and I am sticking with it.

But, I am, and always shall be, Diana. Thanks for reading. I hope you will be back for more.