Every story must have a beginning, so here is mine.
This blog has been 8 or 9 months in the making. I don’t exactly remember how or when it started. I have been reading blogs for 7-8 years now, and not once did I think about starting one. Putting my thoughts or life out there has been pretty scary – it still is. To be honest, first, I just wanted to know the technical aspects of blogging. I have been a communications consultant for some years now, creating strategies, advising clients, managing others’ contents, but I felt I missed some key parts of it, some secret knowledge that I somehow had to have in order to help others better.
I also missed the creativity of writing and creating visuals (randomly inserted confession: I am not a native English speaker).
Still, it was not enough. I could have just created a blog and be content with the fact that I now know how to do one (though I still don’t understand a lot of technicalities). I could have just written a diary, show my photos to friends and family and thus be done with my creative urges. So what made me step out into the vast unknown?
First, it was a revelation about social media and blogging in general. I realized that the bloggers I follow, the stories and articles I read and like, the photos I admire all gave me something. Useful knowledge, a fresh point of view, some inspiration, motivation, tips and tricks, or just a feeling of shared experiences. I don’t care for influencers trying to sell something to me, just for the sake of it. I don’t care for thousands of followers and the number game. I care for value and I would like to provide value as well. If even one person finds something interesting in what I have to say, it is already worth it.
Second, it was a revelation about me and my approach to life. I have been trying to lead a more deliberate, conscious, and meaningful life for some time now. Probably, it was unconscious at first, but become clear defined when I moved to the US for a year in 2014. It was a huge opportunity and, as they say, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I decided I will make the most of it. I stepped over my fears and out of my comfort zone. I spent my time deliberately, seeking out new experiences all the time. Why was it easier there than before? Because I knew it would end in a year. I knew I had only there and then to experience everything.
One of my most important guiding lines in life is not to have any regrets. I always loved Mark Twain’s saying:
Still, our everyday lives, problems, and perspective sometimes cloud the bigger picture. We get so caught up in our daily stuff that sometime we do not even realize the passing of time. Or, I could also call upon popular teenage culture and say, there is some truth to YOLO after all – you truly only live once.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not about climbing Mount Everest (though cudos if you do) or embarking on amazing adventures every day. It’s just about making the best version of ourselves and our lives. The small things that make all the difference – family, friends, travel, experiences. I’ve been trying consciously to stay on this lane and make the most of it.
So, there it is. The thought process laid out. The raw reasons this blog exists for. I probably did not manage to adhere to my dear value-adding principle after all with this post, but I will try to do better later. As for the topics, that is for another post. But I am a marketing consultant after all, and thus I know the importance of keywords. So here are some: minimalism, lifestyle, travel, organizing, productivity, program planning, style and wellness, beauty and health, books and culture. Being deliberate for me means that I stay away from clutter, from meaningless stuff, and instead focus on and find the very best in all aspects of life. A maximalist minimalist.
I have a slight obsession with beginnings, I probably overdo it, but I like the thought that every day, week, or season, we have the power to start afresh. So, welcome 2017 and cheers to new beginnings, new journeys, and new experiences.
