In all absolute honesty, I can’t really say that it’s been a cherry-picking-time of a jolly ride–these full nine years (!) of blogging (in public)…
The upside: I matured in ways that needed a stepping-back approach. Everything takes time. And everybody has maturity to do until their final day–just saying.
[Mature while keeping immaturity about your spirit; remain youthful at every age that you are.]
So many upsides to blogging, actually–more than the mistakes that I noticed I made; and I’m still making them, but it is totally okay! I’m good with that…
I’m all over the page, scattered in my thoughts, as to where to begin to say how these nine years have been. And it’s gone super-fast. I watched my kids grow up during these years, for one thing.
I began blogging just for recipe ideas. Looking back, the photos are horrid lol. Then I learned how to use a professional-grade camera. And I found that those pictures even needed some improvement although my photos developed into gorgeousness with butterflies and flowers!–now I mostly use my Samsung phone camera for everything.–I had so much fun with my daughter during these moments in the outdoors-nature of discovery and planting a beautiful flower garden!
My mother also began writing, having her own segment–The Garden Key.
Then it became a lifestyle blog… I’m not a “niche” person.
My first check from blogging was $103 haha… took YEARS before I made more than that from blogging and creating content… Yes, you can make money blogging. No, it’s not a hobby for me, even though I LOVE what I do here! I enjoy concocting my own recipes, gardening; even making it into a beauty-land, a fashion plate.
I also write about matters of the heart, and difficulties that life can turn on us when we least expect to happen or not at all.
People tend to think that you’re just an open book, a tell-all kind of person. On the contrary, however; a blogger is actually a very private individual. This is sacred ground to me.
I moved states away in these years; plus, my father passed away… and so did offspring. Were people kind through it?–seemingly only a few. You will always have your enemies who rejoice when trials and heartache happen to you. It doesn’t matter how good or not-so-good your life is. It’s like… the devil put them there to prevent you from excelling in what you’re called to do on this earth. It just seems and feels like it– but who cares!!
Once you get past that phase of caring what they do to you or say, it becomes more liberating to do a blog, to live a life, or whatever–no matter who you are or what you choose to do with your life.
You learn who you can truly trust, and who will not ever be granted that kind of a relationship with you.
So I really do not care who babbles whatever and puts it all over social media–whether any of it is true, false, partly-true, or just some made-up jealous evil from a female-guy-them-they-whomever and whatever! Laugh and smile.
Blogging entails so much–so much work that people do not see or know about; there are a lot of avenues and branches to blogging. It’s not done overnight, and it does take time to make a profit–a good profit–years of doing it, just like anything else, before you get a pretty good “paycheck”.
It’s time-consuming–all the background work, but it’s worth it.
So during my struggles, I got into, not only affiliate marketing on my blog site and through Pinterest, but I joined network marketing groups to advance income; plus, cafe cooking and elderly healthcare. It’s an ongoing process, too. It’s a juggling act, but it’s awesome not to be fenced-in or stuck in just one thing. Not everyone is adapted to cultivating several different money-making categories at one time. But if you get bored easily, and you find that you’re well-rounded with passionate interests in life, you’ll be a multi-task kind of person who loves the challenge.
One or two categories of interest, of money-flow, might do better than the rest at different times. When you get one or two down, very well, then the other two can be honed to excellency.
You do what is best for you; nobody on the outside of your world–that you know is meant for you and your family. There’s more than one way, by far.
The fun part besides making beauty appear on your blog and tasting delicious deserts?–it’s through the experiences and hardships of each phase that you learn to tackle and get over and feel proud of yourself for sticking with it.
My blog comes, first, before any network marketing business I’ve joined. It’s about my family, my life experiences, and everything that I love doing. I will continue to grow it and expand it through more years.
And I’m sure it will get another fresh page-look in due season!
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