HOW I STARTED MY BLOG
The saying, things happen for a reason, I can undoubtedly say, it does. How I started my blog? It was not something I thought or knew anything. I started it to keep busy, have something to do during the day. Usually, I would be working. December 2018, it was two words that would change my life. “GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.” For 35 days, my life was about to change, I didn’t know it at first, but it did. Now, you’re probably saying, “Government Shutdown, 35 days; how does that relate to me? I am a Federal Employee, and unless you didn’t have any media outlet, Radio, or TV, was a hermit, you knew about the Government furlough. When the powers that be, Democrats and Republicans could not agree on a budget. That disagreement lasted 35 days, from December 2018 to January 2019. Since it was too cold to be outside, I tried to find something to do inside, trying to keep busy, not thinking that I wasn’t getting paid. After checking my email (which I do daily), I received a message for “The 30-day Blog Challenge” I opened, read it, and then deleted it. I received another email, “The right way to travel,” again, I looked at the email and read it; this time, I saved it. The travel part stuck with me; after all, who doesn’t like traveling? I read it over and over, even googling for reviews, making sure it was legitimate. I thought, “this is something I would like to do.” Unfortunately, it was a course and the price I couldn’t get past. I am impacted by the shutdown, no income, and no end in sight. I thought about a part-time job, something working from home. Checking my messages, I saw a job opportunity for a freelance blogger; since I didn’t know anything about it, I deleted it. (I receive emails from indeed.com) Yet, it was something about that message that stuck with me. I kept thinking about it, how interesting it would be to try. As luck would have it, I had received another message about the course that teaches blogging. This time, instead of deleting it, I saved it and decided to look more into it. Like most individuals who were not sure what a blog or blogging was, I did extensive research. I went as far as setting up a video call, “how you can make money blogging.” What I was looking for was a way to supplement my income, something I could do independently. After the call, I thought long and hard about it, asked myself, “Is this something I would like to do? Would I enjoy it? I decided I was going to give it a try.
The beginning of the course had you working at your own pace. The first task was setting up a google calendar, entering the times I would be available. As the session went on, my head became filled with negative thoughts: Why I couldn’t do it; when I start blogging, I’m not sure of writing the first part – to get the attention; I am unsure about the wording; I don’t think people will look at my blog; what will make mine stand out from others with the same topic; I don’t think I will make money. I then decided to turn those exact words into positive thoughts: I’m learning how to blog; I know what I want to say; I can write it instead; I am learning the art of blogging; learning something new is fun; I will make my blog interesting – anticipating when people will look at it; although others may blog about the same topic, I am going to focus on a particular area. Finally, I’m thinking of ideas for my blog. I’m confident I can make money. Ironically, the negative and positive thoughts became my first assignment.
It has been almost three years since I began my blog, since then, I have had two articles published. November 2019, I had my first collaboration with a hotel. The Hyatt Hotel in Downtown Atlanta included four complimentary nights in exchange for articles, interviews, and photographs that I will publish on my site. I will admit, I have learned a lot, and it’s something I like doing. I’m not saying this will be simple, nor do I anticipate making money quickly. Like anything in life, unless you work towards something, how do you know if you will like it? You don’t!