Blogging & Journaling: Freeing the Writer Within

This quarter, at Edmonds Community College, I'm teaching a new class called Blogging and Journaling: Freeing the Writer Within. I gave my students the challenge of writing everyday for one week and I was surprised to discover that many of them are doing just that!

 I received so many benefits from blogging and journaling over the years. I wrote 365 blog posts for two years straight. One year was in the form of daily lessons (2010) and another was in the form of inspirations (2013).

I was surprised to discover that one of the students in my class started her own 365 daily posts in the form of reflections. Here is a link to her first post that describes our first class meeting and her inspiration for writing everyday:

http://colormemod.com/365-reflections-reflection-1/

I learned so many things during those two years I blogged daily. Here are a few things I learned:

• I can stick to a goal and complete it. Even a goal that is every day for an entire year!
• There's always something I can write about and in keeping up with the practice of writing every single day, I learn so much about myself.
• The writing that comes from my daily blogs and journals does not need to be perfect. Sometimes there are spelling errors or grammatical mistakes. The important part is to get the words out and I can go back and edit later.
• The daily act of writing is important part of freeing the writer within. Without this daily act, one becomes rusty and out of practice. 
• I was surprised to discover that my daily posts actually attracted a following. Some came just to see if I had kept to my word about blogging everyday.
• Writing every day on my blog helped me to free the writer within and enabled me to write my memoir, Lessons from the Monk I Married, which was published by Seal Press in 2012.
• In blogging everyday, I became part of the blogging world (the blogosphere) and was excited to meet new people and find other bloggers with similar interests. I have met, both online and in-person, so many!
• I realized that you don't have to carve out hours and hours to blog. You can set a timer and create a post in 10 minutes. Then add a photo or a quote to spice it up and....Voila! Everyone can spare 10 minutes in their day. If I did it for two years while writing a book and working, you can too :)
• When you write everyday, the real YOU cannot hide. I call this 'intuitive writing'. You don't edit or judge, you just write. The important part is to keep typing or writing without stopping. Let the words flow out, later you can go back over what you've written. In both my blog and book, my strongest writing has come from intuitive writing. 
• People ask me how I built up my blog. It was the joy of coming here daily to WRITE. It wasn't about seeing how many followers I had or how much money I could make. It was simply about showing up here. From there, things began to happen organically.

I know there are dozens of other things I have learned in the hundreds of posts I've created here. Now I feel confident enough to teach classes at colleges, retreats and in-person about my experiences. It brings me joy to share my journey and be part of other people's journeys to blogging and journaling OR freeing the writer within, as I like to call it :)

Have you every written every single day for any period of time? Do you blog daily or regularly?

365 Inspirations—335: ELEVEN straight months of blogging...

Blogging 365 Lessons in 2010 at my father's house in Florida

“Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.”—Robert McKee

I've made it to December 1st. I cannot believe it. I've blogged inspirations for ELEVEN straight months. One month more to go!

I will say that doing this has helped me to see the positive. Blogging every day has helped me realize that even on days when I feel like giving up, running away, throwing in the towel, calling it quits, or hiding, there's a glimmer of hope.

Somehow I find something to write about.

Can I be my own inspiration this time?

I didn't give up, but somedays it was hard to get here.

I blogged right over Machu Picchu, found a way to blog when the internet crashed, blogged when I had jet-lag, blogged through final exams, blogged at airports, in hotels, on busses, blogged when there was nothing to blog about (but I still found something).

Writing everyday this year has taught me that I am in fact a WRITER. I can say it. I am proud of it.

And this is not my first year of blogging for 365 days. In 2010, I wrote 365 blog posts in the form of lessons!

I've taken most of those off my blog as they may become a book.

So that's almost TWO YEARS of blogging everyday.

That's 730 blog posts!

Will I do it again?

Probably not for awhile, if ever.

I think I'm ready to move on. I have BIG PLANS for the coming year.

I will let you know more about those soon.

Have you ever done anything for 365 Days? (Besides the obvious)

365 Inspirations—291: Continuity is the SECRET

"Continuity of practice is the secret of success."—SN Goenka

Don't ask me how I got here. How on earth have I gotten to post 291? I've been writing blog posts for two-hundred and ninety-one days STRAIGHT!

Only 74 posts left!

The secret?

Just do it. Don't think too much about how you'll do it. Pick a goal, commit to it AND JUST DO IT.

Put one foot in front of the other. Place your hands on the keyboard and type one letter at a time.

There will be times when you feel like quitting. There will be times when that voice inside your head says, "What's the point? Is anyone reading these posts anyway."

Keep going. Continuity is the secret of success with anything you set out to do.

You will hit walls, fall down, wonder 'what's it all about Alfie,' get sick, feel emotionally unstable, lose power (in more ways than one), lack confidence, and almost throw in the towel.

Another secret? Never, ever stop on those days that you feel like that.

If you want to stop something you've committed yourself to, stop when you feel REALLY GOOD. Stop only when you feel like you've gotten what you need from something...when it's enough...when you feel satisfied.

I'm a person who tends to stick to my commitments, so I'll continue to write those 74 posts because it's my ritual and I enjoy it. I am definitely in the habit of blogging every day! Of course I'm happy when people read and comment, but I write these posts because I enjoy writing them and if there is readership, that's a bonus!

Have you ever stuck a commitment out to the very end even though you sometimes felt like giving up? What was it?

365 Inspirations—273: A Walk in the SUN

Indecisive Seattle weather

One of the things I remember clearly from our trek over Salkantay Glacier in Peru is when our guide, a full-blooded Quechua, raised his hands, open palms to the air, just as the last ray of sun fell behind the glacier. He also closed his eyes and chanted something under his breath. In Quechua the sun is called 'inti' and is worshiped just like the moon 'quilla'. Pachamama, Mother Earth, is also highly revered.

After two days of torrential downpours ( I walked between squalls), I wanted nothing more than to get outside. I was determined, even though I had a full schedule today, to get outside and walk.

So even though the clouds looked dark and ominous, I convinced my husband to come with me to Greenlake for a 3-mile walk.

It started out windy and looked like a storm was going to crash on our heads, but then everything changed.

The dark clouds left the sky completely about half-way around the lake and the only thing overhead was that bright orb and blue sky.

Instinctively, my husband and I lifted our arms to the sun, palms to the sky, eyes closed, and just stood there very still taking it all in. We felt the warmth and let it penetrate us and give us the light we so miss this time of year.

After our little walk, despite storms and clouds (externally and internally) that still threaten our horizons to come, I felt energized. Such a simple, peaceful walk with my husband on a normally busy day changed my entire perspective about life. It made me want to slow down and it made me want to be present for the shifting winds that I'm sure are coming my way.

Do you ever stop to take in the sun, or is it around you all the time?

365 Inspirations—217: Blogging

Reflection of me blogging 365 Lessons in 2010

"Thinking or dreaming about what you want to do won't get you any closer to it. Just get out there and do it!"—Katherine Jenkins

I've been blogging here since 2009! This is my little corner of the World Wide Web. It's where I share stories, connect with other bloggers, write posts about inspirational people places and things, converse with regular friends here and make new friends and discover new blogs. This is the place where I write and keep a regular practice of writing. By announcing, back on January 1, 2013, that I would write a blog post every single day, I'm holding myself accountable publicly for my writing. So far I've written 217 posts this year. That's over 7 months of blogging every single day!

Why do I do it? Well, one thing I've discovered is that blogging every day about the things and people I find inspirational has helped me to focus on the positive and inspirational in my own life. What you focus on you become. I've found this to be absolutely true for me.

Another reason why I write here everyday is because I've found that by showing up daily to this blog I've gotten in the regular habit of writing and now I can truly call myself a writer.

It's not easy to show up here and write a post every day and I can't promise you that every post I write will be fantastic. All I can promise is that I will be here and that the post I write here will be related to something that I find inspiring. 

Today it's blogging. Blogging is my inspiration. It's led me to many other blogger friends, to my agent and to a book deal. It's opened up a portal to another world I didn't know existed. It's expanded my scope of the world and connected me to people across boundaries, countries and continents. This was not possible when I was a high school student. That's perhaps why much of my ealier writing was in journals now packed away in boxes. 

I can't promise you I'll blog forever, but I'm blogging now. I'm still here writing and that in itself is something. I think it's easy to throw in the towel when things start to get tough or we lose interest or we are having a bad day. It's usually the time when most people give up. 

Lots of people want to call themselves writers or bloggers, but they don't write or blog—at least not regularly. To be good at something, you have to do it. 

Thinking or dreaming about what you want to do won't get you any closer to it. Just get out there and do it!

Do you blog or write regularly? What is keeping you from doing these things?

365 Inspirations—209: Keep Writing

"When asked, 'How do you write?'
I invariably answer, 'one word at a time.'”—Stephen King

Today I finished my second book proposal and sent it off to my agent. Phew! That felt good. It was finished weeks ago, but I kept procrastinating and trying to fine tune it and finally I just sent the thing off.

Sometimes you just have to do it. You just have to push that send button and let it go!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I'm trying to keep in the flow of things and not get caught up in any ONE thing. If things aren't flowing, I let go for a while and come back later.

This blog has been a journey into "flow" for me.

I think our very first thoughts are so important and tend to contain the most energy. If we work our writing too much, it loses its flavor.

I'm a big fan of intuitive or free writing and my best work has come by simply showing up to write and letting the process take me wherever it wants to go.

The idea is to keep writing. It's important to let go of the inner critic that blocks one from the process. Writing is a process. To be a good writer it's important to keep writing and keep showing up.

Do you write everyday or do you have a practice of writing? Does your inner critic get in your way?

365 Inspirations—195: Life of a Snowbird

“The birds fly south for the winter not because it’s cold, but because they have wings."—Jarod Kintz

I found Linda's blog, Thoughts from a Bag Lady in Waiting, quite a while ago and was intrigued that she was a) from Washington State and b) was headed to Arizona to live as a snowbird.

While the summer has been so lovely here and I can't imagine living anywhere else right now, the rainy cold days of winter are not always easy to get through. During that time, I have entertained the thought of moving and/or traveling to a warmer climate during the winter months.

Well, Linda did just that! Not only that, but I recently discovered that she also traveled to Kenya. Another warm place. It sounds like Linda is having lots of fun in her retirement, so I decided to catch up with her for an interview. Here she is:

And here's my interview with her:

What inspired you to move down to Arizona for the winter? 

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I love it there. But I have Seasonal Affective Disorder – the winter blues – from November until about April, because of the relatively few hours of daylight and even fewer hours of sun. Once we were no longer working, we tried multiple short vacations in sunny places; the year before last we spent two weeks in Hawaii, two weeks in Sedona, and three weeks in Ecuador. That kept us in the sun, but it was three trips—three flights, three sets of packing, etc. We decided to try staying in just one place for two months, and that worked out better. I like Arizona in the winter, especially Tucson. And we have old friends who have been snowbirds for several years, and they invited us to come visit them last year when we were in Sedona. We liked what we saw and decided to do it ourselves.

Where did you live? How did you spend your days as a snowbird? 

We lived at the Voyager RV Resort. It’s a 55-plus community in south Tucson. We rented a park model with an “Arizona room," so we had about 650 square feet of living space, which was enough for the time we were there. There was lots to do. We learned how to line dance and do the Texas two step (we’d rarely danced together before, in 20 years). We joined a current events discussion group and a Great Decisions group. I played handbells for the first time in nearly 30 years. I went to water aerobics three times a week. We went to dances with friends. It’s not about the warmth, though. I like cold weather. It’s about the light.

How long did you stay there? 

We arrived on January 4 and left on February 28, with a weeklong extension in Sedona and an eight-day road trip home.

I saw on your blog that you were in Kenya. What inspired your trip there? 

Well, it wasn’t on our bucket list! We had some houseguests last summer who’d been to Kenya the year before, and they said it was a life-changing experience. They referred me to their friend who had taken them there, and he referred me to an outfitter in Nairobi. It was the most expensive trip we’d ever planned, and I was a little concerned we’d be the only people on our tour, but it turned out to be just right.

Tell me about your trip to Kenya. What were the highlights? 

The animals on our game drives (a lion kill, a pair of giraffes courting, a newborn gazelle and a newborn hippo), the people (our very knowledgeable guide, women in a village who’d left their homes because of abuse, a chief in a village, a third-generation British Kenyan, a conversation with the wife of the CEO of a major corporation, talks with our tent stewards and servers and other camp staff.

Have you been reflecting much on your trip since you arrived home? What experiences have changed you or made you think differently about life?

For this, see my blog entry http://bagladyinwaiting.blogspot.com/2013/06/retrospective-gifts-of-kenya.html

Are you doing more traveling since you’ve retired? Do you have any other big trips planned?

We traveled as often as we could when we were still working. But since June 25, 2010 when I quit my job, we’ve taken 29 trips of varying lengths. We’ll be going to Hawaii for two weeks in December and back to Tucson for three months next winter. Others we have in mind are New Zealand/Australia, Antarctica (just me, probably), and we’re dreaming of a Road Scholar trip on the Trans Siberian Railroad from Beijing to Moscow. But we really like road trips within the US, and we’ll be doing more of those. Next up in that mode are Colorado and the Ohio/Illinois/Missouri area, for family research.

Wow! That's a lot of trips! What has been the best part about being retired? 

The freedom to choose how I spend my time. I became a certified mediator through my local Dispute Resolution Center, and that is very rewarding. My husband and I wrote and published a book about a trip we took to Vietnam in 2005. I am getting more exercise than I used to as well.

Thanks so much for being on my blog Linda. It sounds like you have lots of adventures ahead of you!

A question for the readers here: Are you retired or do you know anyone who is? How do you (or they) spend the time?

365 Inspirations—154: Still Going

"Write every day, just to keep in the habit, and remember that whatever you have written is neither as good nor as bad as you think it is."—Jane Smiley

 Still. Going. Aren't those two words funny side by side. I'm still, but I'm going. Time keeps moving and every single day I wonder how I can keep going or if I can keep going, but I'm still here...blogging!

I'm coming up on SIX SOLID MONTHS of writing and blogging every single day. I have no idea what will pop up here. I have several interviews lined up with interesting and inspiring people, but the rest is a mystery.

Doing something every day is NOT a piece of cake. It takes a lot of commitment, but it is so worth it in the long run. At least that has been my experience.

I'm finishing up another quarter of teaching at the college. The students have taken their tests, which means I will be grading ALL of those tests. Not my favorite part of the quarter, but it does signify that things are coming to a close and a new chapter will begin and I love NEW chapters.

Speaking of chapters, I will be writing several of them in a few weeks. I'm heading off on a solo writing retreat to work on my second book mid-June. I'm so looking forward to that time.

But now I'm GOING to be STILL. ^_^

Do you sometimes wonder how you will get through the day or are you ever surprised by the fact you are STILL GOING?

365 Inspirations—151: Interview with Torre DeRoche, Author of Love with a Chance of Drowning, and FREE book giveaway

"To the adventurer: put one foot in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there. To the writer: put one word in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there."—Torre DeRoche

Do you blog about your adventures? Are you dreaming of writing and publishing a book?

I'm thrilled to have author Torre DeRoche here today to talk about her new book, Love with a Chance of Drowning and to talk about her journey from blogger to published author in three countries (USA, Australia and the UK). She also has a movie offer on the table. Does it get any better than that? I can't remember exactly where I first *met* Torre out there in the blogging world, but I knew we had a lot in common. I also have my own journey from blogger to published author and LOVE a good adventure. 

I devoured Torre's book in two days and I've been dreaming of taking up sailing lessons ever since. Here's my short synopsis of this fabulous book:

Australian native Torre unexpectedly meets handsome, Argentinian sailor in bar in San Francisco. He sweeps her off her feet, but there is ONE BIG PROBLEM. He is about to sail around the world in his small sailboat and Torre is terrified of deep water. 

And that's where the adventure begins and it's a page turner. Today I'm giving away one free copy of Torre's book on this blog. Just leave a comment here with a mention that you'd like to enter in the drawing and I'll announce the winner here on my blog a week from today.

Now for my interview with Torre:

When did you first start writing this book? Was it on the boat? In San Francisco when you met Ivan? When did the idea of a book about your experiences first take shape in your mind?

While sailing through the South Pacific, I kept a blog for family and friends to recount the crazy adventure that I’d accidentally found myself on. My parents hadn’t yet met the man I’d entrusted my life to on the Pacific Ocean, so I figured the least I could do was update my mother on my whereabouts, perhaps comfort her with some funny stories. 

When life aboard got challenging, I immersed myself in writing the blog as a means of ‘visiting’ home. I was desperately homesick at times. My words became my bridge between utter isolation and home. 

The blog audience expanded beyond my family, and the positive feedback I received inspired me to consider writing a book. When I returned back to land for good, I began writing after work, on weekends, and late at night. I repurposed some of the material from the blog. At 50,000 words, I finally admitted to myself that I was writing a book. 

What did you hope to show through telling your story?

When I tell people about my adventure across the Pacific on a leaky boat, so many of them say, “Oh my god, I could never do that! I’m too scared!” Yeah, well, me too. I wouldn’t even swim at the beach before I got on that boat. Through my story, I hope to show readers that fear doesn’t have to be a reason to stay at home, under the covers. 

But my number one reason for writing was simple: I wanted to take readers on a vicarious adventure and give them a good time. I want to make them laugh, cry, and cringe. 

Did you originally plan to self publish your book or did you first pursue a traditional route (agents and publishing houses) and then choose to self publish?

I queried agents for six months and, after having no luck with that, I decided to self-publish. A couple of weeks after launching, I received a Twitter message from a Hollywood producer who had chanced upon an excerpt of my book. He wanted to know if the option was available. 

I, of course, thought I was being fooled by a sad loser from small town America, but I sent him a book just in case it was legit. At approximately the same time, a UK publisher also scouted my book through social media. A month after self-publishing, I received two offers: one from the UK publisher and one from the Hollywood producer for the film option. 

Armed with two offers, it took me about four days to sign with a top New York agent. She immediately pitched to the US, and three publishers wanted to take it to auction. Hyperion came in with a great pre-emptive offer and we decided to take it. Shortly after, it went to auction in Australia and sold to Penguin. The rights have also sold in Brazil, and Brilliance Audio bought the worldwide audiobook rights. 

 For those who are debating about whether or not to seek traditional publishing or self publishing, what would you tell them? 

It’s incredibly thrilling to launch a book traditionally, whereas a self-published book launch is like throwing your cat a birthday party: it feels silly and indulgent, and it’s hard to get others excited about the party. But the royalties are higher, and you have greater control and fewer frustrations. 

I’m on the fence on this one. I think both routes have incredible advantages and disadvantages, so it comes down to personal choice. If it’s really important to you to have a traditional publisher, I suggest that you exhaust all of your options with that route first. Otherwise, if you’re an aggressive marketer and you feel ready to take on the tremendous workload required to self-publish a book well, then go straight for that option. 

How did you market your book after you self published?

I sent out a lot of free copies to bloggers and influencers to get people talking about it online. I pitched to Amazon’s top reviewers to get reviews, and I was quite successful with that. I wrote to magazine editors and asked for reviews, and some big mags came back with “Yes.” I did some guest posting, and I reached out to bloggers for reviews. I ran a series on a big blog called ‘Love and Travel Week,’ and I plugged my book at the bottom of each travel/love related piece. I also did quite a bit of online networking through Twitter, Facebook groups, and sailing or travel related forums.  

I know, after reading your story, that Seismic Pictures discovered you on Twitter. This is a dream come true for many writers and it set things up for your book to be published in Australia and abroad. How did this exciting chain of events happen exactly? 

It all began with Twitter… Two weeks after I self-published, I got a Twitter message from a Hollywood producer asking if the rights had been optioned yet. Two weeks after that, he emailed me an offer to buy the film option. At about the same time, I was contacted by a UK indie publisher, who also sent through an offer to buy the book.

With two deals on the table, I emailed the agent at the top of my Dream Agents list. She read the book over a weekend and offered me representation on the Monday. We began pitching immediately, and we received interest from several US publishers. We were about to go into auction when Hyperion came in with a preemptive deal too handsome to refuse. My rock star agent negotiated it up another 50% and we signed.

Then my foreign rights agent pitched to Australian publishers. Four big publishers went to auction and the book sold to Penguin. We also sold to Brazil and to Brilliance Audio. (My head is still spinning.)

Have you heard any news from Seismic Pictures? When can we expect the movie to be out on the big screen?

The script is currently underway! However—

My dad’s a scriptwriter by profession, and time and time again I’ve seen how tough it is to get a script turned into a movie. The possibility of a film is enormously exciting, but I won’t pop the cork out of the Cristal until filming commences. 

How has your life changed since meeting Ivan and setting foot on a sailboat? 

I have a lot more adventures. I take a lot more risks. I let my intuition guide me, and I believe in myself in a way that I didn’t before. I’m drawn to nature these days. I’ve become skilled at telling my fears to shut up. I don’t read the news anymore…

These are just a few changes that come to mind, but there are many. 

How has your life changed since being published in Australia and abroad?

Everything is much the same, to be honest! My book is on the shelves, I have a vague understanding that people are reading my words right now, I get a lot of emails, I check Amazon and Goodreads for reviews on a somewhat-obsessive basis… But other than that, everything is as it was before. 

Have you had any desire to get on a sailboat again? I know it wasn't one of your passions, but has it become a passion for you now?

There is no better way to see the world than by sailboat. Once you’ve arrived to a new country by the power of the wind, it’s incredibly hard to return to any kind of regular travel. However, after two years at sea I never managed to overcome seasickness! I have a sensitive inner ear, which means I get nauseous in cars, planes, buses, and boats. It sucks. If I could cure this problem, I would sail again. 

Now that you've somewhat conquered your fear of water and sailing, what is your biggest fear today? How will you conquer it? 

Standing within 20 feet of a cliff edge makes the back of my legs crawl. I have no immediate plans to face this fear. 

With the launch of my book, I had to face my fear of public speaking. This was perhaps worse than my fear of heights, so I’m going to sit back and revel in that accomplishment for a while before taking anything else on. My adrenalin glands need a break.

What would you say to all the other "fearful" adventurers out there or the struggling writers who are about ready to throw in the towel?

To the adventurer: put one foot in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there. To the writer: put one word in front of the other and don’t stop until you get there. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Torre DeRoche is an Australian native and a self-proclained fearful adventurer. When she's not at home in Melbourne, Australia, DeRoche is at large in the world, exploring, writing, painting pictures and snapping photos as she faces her fears one terrified step at a time. She blogs at www.fearfuladventurer.com

365 Inspirations—146: Just Write

“The only good writing is intuitive writing. It would be a big bore if you knew where it was going. It has to be exciting, instantaneous and it has to be a surprise. Then it all comes blurting out and it’s beautiful."—Ray Bradbury


I'm reading a very good book that I can't put down by my Aussie friend Torre DeRoche called Love with a Chance of Drowning, so I decided to dig this post up from my archives. It was actually post 146 of my 365 Lessons I wrote in 2010. I think it's fitting for today. How I felt about writing in 2010 still holds true today. Here's the post:

 I've heard people say that they only write when inspiration comes to them. In a past post I mentioned that inspiration is always there, but our thoughts and emotions block access to this. Instead of waiting for a big wave of inspiration to fall from the sky, I just write.

I write everyday, to be exact. I write just to write. When I let go of trying to control what will come from writing, things come out that I never expected. I never plan what I will say here.

I think life is like that. A lot of thinking gets in the way of doing. We make plans and try to figure out a time schedule for writing, or exercising, or art, or anything really. I think it's good to make a plan and schedule it into your day. But some of my best writing has come spontaneously at any given hour of the day or night. Sometimes it comes to me at 2am or in the middle of the afternoon. I never know exactly. And sometimes I feel I have nothing to say, but I keep writing, just as I keep living even when life isn't "amazing."

Writing has become me. I don't really know who "I" am, but writing moves through me. I don't consider myself a "great" writer, but I have something to say. I think we can lose the essence of writing when we try to be too crafty or make it good. I let words fall out on the page anyway they want to here on this blog.

There were times, while writing my book, that I wanted to hide certain parts of my life. I found myself only wanting to tell the "good" stories. But life is not like that. To arrive at anything worthwhile, we have to go through the "not so good" times. O.K...the "bad" times. So I let it all out, I didn't hold back.

I had a conflict with that when I was editing my book. I thought, "Do I really want to expose this much of my life?" But what is "my life" anyway? If you read my previous post, you will see that whatever is "mine" is really just part of the ego that wants to survive. There's the fear of what others might think of this "me" or how I might be judged by what I write.

So why share my story at all? Because I feel that there is something universal about the human condition; that we all share a similar set of feelings. We all go through certain experiences and reading about others who have gone through certain struggles, challenges and revelations in life often times shed light on our own experiences.

Everyone's journey is unique, but we are all in this together. If we are all in this together, what do we have to fear or hide? There's nothing in life that hasn't been experienced by one human or another. There isn't a single emotion that hasn't been felt by one human or another.

What do I have to protect, actually. I am a mortal being. I will end like everyone else. There's not a single person who does not experience birth and death, so how different are we really?

So I don't hold back anymore. I let it all out. I let it loose...I let "me" free. Through writing I share my experience of this life. I write how it is. I write the truth. I just write.

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about what you want to write, or do you just write?

365 Inspirations—52: New Blog Discovery

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”—Kahlil Gibran

 I will admit that I don't always have time to read all the blogs I want to read. There are so many inspiring blogs and people out there and I'm happy to have met you all in the blogosphere.

Today is a very busy day for me. I have a split shift at the college and need to go back in about an hour to teach my last class.

When I got home, I posted comments left on my last post and, in that process, discovered a new blog. Whenever someone new stops by here, I try to make a point of visiting them as well. I only had time to read one or two posts and the two I read on this person's blog touched my heart.

I think that's what it's all about really. We don't need to change the entire world, but if we can do a few things to make the world a better place for a few people and ourselves, I think that is so important.

The blog I discovered today is called Blue O'Connell's Musical Adventures  and the two posts I read were called "An Unexpected Gift" and "Man's Best Friend". They were simple, short posts, but they were so heartfelt. Blue is a Music Practitioner and plays music in nursing homes and for the intellectually disabled. Her blog is very simple and she has just a handful of followers. It would make my day if you'd all pay her a visit.

She talks about how we often don't know what a difference we are making in other people's lives. We may feel like we are making no difference at all and that what we do is unimportant. The truth is, every little thing we do is so important and can have such a tremendous impact.

I teach English as a Second Language. I have over 100 students from over 30 countries in my classes.  My students are all immigrants and refugees and I know they need English so desperately in order to make a life in a new place.

I often don't think about the impact I might make on a student until they let me know. Sometimes a student will do this by preparing a dish from their country or making a gift by hand. It's always such a surprise to receive these gestures of appreciation and I often feel like it's too much.

I'm reminded, through Blue's blog, that part of the process of giving is also being able to receive.

Each one of us, in our daily activities and gestures, can make a difference in other people's lives. We are all in this together. What we each do is so important.

*Special Note: Blue is giving away a copy of her CD "Choose the Sky" to those who visit her blog and leave a comment. I visited her website at blueoconnell.com and learned that she is profoundly deaf and had to have cochlear implant surgery. This makes her beautiful, sweet song and voice even more inspiring. Here's the song "Choose the Sky" on YouTube:

Have you read any new blog posts or blogs that have touched you or made you feel grateful or appreciative? Has any kind gesture touched you today?