Today I celebrate two years of blogging on Bedlam & Daisies.
It’s still hard for me to believe that I’ve been coming to this space and blogging for two years. I’ve been sharing my thoughts and you all have been kind enough to show up to read them and comment on them. I’ve been sharing my photography and you all have journeyed along as I began to learn a little more about the process. I have been seeking my voice and you have listened.
Blogging.
Those facts alone never cease to amaze me. My niece was the one who encouraged me to go ahead and start this blog. I first considered blogging back in 2009 because my youngest was starting kindergarten. In the end, I was too fearful to put my voice out there in the public. Fast forward 7 years…and I was ready…another two years and here we are. I feel so blessed that my voice has been received amongst you all and met with kindness.
Evolution.
As I approached this two-year mark celebrating the birth of this blogging process, I perused some of my older posts. If you’ve never seen my first post, here it is. In it, I state the fact that I’m sure the blog will evolve, just as I am evolving. I read those words through the lens of having done just that. I am reminded that one of my favorite mantras from my challenge of 30 days of meditation is “I am committed to my personal growth and evolution.” I often find myself repeating that in my mind on those occasions when I want to give up because the challenge seems to hard.
Photography.
After my introduction, my next post was about my love of photography. I had no experience. Just a love. That love has grown over the past two years. I’ve learned a few things about capturing the beauty that my eye beholds. I still have a tremendous amount of knowledge to gain about the process, but when I reflect back to two years ago, I can see that I am moving forward. This was a helpful recognition because I still struggle with comparison. Struggles around the loss of Instagram followers. Struggles around the fact that my skills aren’t growing as quickly as others. Reflecting helps me stop and realize that this is a personal journey. I am not everyone else. My growth may be slow, but it is growth, and that is good.
Comfort Zones.
A big part of creating the blog was to force myself outside of my comfort zones. Placing my words out into the public was one of those beginning stretches. I had so much anxiety and fear over that process that after I hit publish, I went into the shower and cried. And yet, as I reflected on the journey in this post written at the end of 2016, I see that pressing outside of my comfort zones was exactly what I needed. That journey of testing comfort zones was the catalyst for having me finally secure a passport and decide to travel outside of the United States.
It’s still amazing to me that receiving my passport was a recent highlight that I spoke about on my celebration of one year of blogging. 2017 would see me traveling to Amsterdam and Paris with my husband and children. Six weeks later I would travel to Edinburgh and Glasgow (and stops in Stirling, Shotts, and Airdrie) with my mother and aunt. While I only took two trips, I am eager for more and found a love for travel.
Going Forward.
I remember talking in this post about how I was a work in progress. Truly, I am still a work in progress. In that post, I mentioned 2016 being a year of seeking clarity and saw 2017 as a year of becoming more focused and disciplined. Honestly, I see 2018 as a mix of those both. I am still seeking my passions and discovering my voice. Part of the goal of my 30-day challenges during this year of being 40 is to continue to find who I am below the expectations placed upon me. Going forward, I plan to do more seeking. I plan to continue to press outside of my comfort zones.
And going forward, I plan to evolve.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I hope that you will continue on with me in the coming year.
I’d also love to know what topics you most enjoy on my blog!
Be sure to let me know in the comments!
As I continue to tweak the layout of the blog, I want to be sure that you are hearing about the topics that drew you to my blog.
Sending all you much love and light on my second blogiversary!
Let your light shine!
Amy
