dear diary

you all answered my poll (thanks a ton) and only 34% of you said that you use your blog as a journal. I was kind of surprised. I think everyone should think of there blog as a journal. It has helped me to be more consistant and more real in my posting, it is just a bonus to me that I can keep my family and friends up on our awsome life. I am not saying that it is bad to use it for this purpose, but maybe it is time to start journaling instead of blogging.

I asked this poll question becuase I was asked to talk at a church activity this past week on journal keeping. My part was "modern day journaling." I spoke with two other women who, I think, did a FANTASTIC job. They both motivated me to keep journaling and made me really realize how important it is. Becuase I was to follow these two wonderful speakers I was SUPER nervous. My face got really really flush and hot and I was talking a mile a minute. I had so much to say that I was hurrying to get it all in. I don't think anyone in that room learned a thing from me. Plus I was practically hyperventalating from nerves. They all told me I did great, but they are supposed to say that. Anyway, I am still so greatful for this experience because it taught me some very important things. Basically that I LOVE BLOGGING and that I LOVE JOURNALING. And ...get this... they go hand in hand, as in, they are ONE!!!! Can you beleive that... your blog is a journal. YES! Check that one off of my list.

As I was writing my speach for the activity, I had a lot of insights into blogging. None of these points were touched on becuase I focused more on journaling than blogging, but here are my insights for everyone and hopefully you can use them to your advantage.

 In order to create a better, more interesting and lasting blog...

1. Use your blog as a journal
duh kristen, isnt that what you just said? yes, but you dont' mind hearing it again, right? Before they even asked me to speak on the subject, I had already been thinking about my blog as a journal. I Love going back and reading my past posts. I love that my children will have records and pictures from when they were little. I love that I have recorded things that I would never ever have remembered had I not written them down. like this. I love that people have learned from my experiences and more importantly that I can learn from my past mistakes, failures and sucsesses and not repeat them by going back and reading my own past posts. My blog started out as a way to let people know what we were up to and show how awsome our lives are, but my journal/blog has become priceless to me.

2. DO NOT BLOG FOR COMMENTS
I still find myself in the habbit of posting something on the blog and checking five times a day to see if anyone left a comment, so don't feel bad if this is you too, you are not alone. But I personally think that if you leave it alone and forget about the comments, your posts will become a little more personal and your blogging will be more for you than for someone else. Plus, whenever I go back to read my old posts, I rarely click on the comments to see what people had to say. In the long run it is what you write that matters, not what others think about it.

3. Do not compare
Comparing your blog to other people blogs wil always leave you discouraged and frustrated. There will ALWAYS be a blog out there that is better than yours, even if you have the "cutest blog on the block." If your blog is not good enough for you, you will never post, and you will be left with a journal as dry and empty as the one on my night stand.

4. Be passionate
There are two points here. 1. write more passionatly. Make it personal, write your thoughts and feelings. Goals and asspirations. Be more passionate in your writing. and 2. Make blogging a passion. I am border line obssesed. "Hi my name is kristen and I am addicted to blogging." Allthough I go a little too far sometimes, it has been a blessing, blogging has become a passion and that is what makes it a habbit for me.

5.Go back and read
reading what I have written makes me SO greatful that I have kept such a good record of life for the past 3 years. it makes me want to keep going, and do better. I love reading about when kroten was a new born or what my pregnancy was like, dates with my husband, and trips we have taken. I LOVE IT!



In sharing this, I am in no way saying that I am the best blogger/journaler. I am just passionate about blogging and I hope that my passion can rub off on someone. that is why I felt like sharing my thoughts in this post. I think everyone should have a blog and I think everyone should journal, so join me in blogging. Lets start a bloggaholics anonymous.

My blogging might get a little more sparatic in the near future becuase I am quiting my job (YAY) which has allowed me to do a lot more blogging and I am going to have two kids. WOW!!! life is going to get a lot more hectic, but I hope that I can stay passionate about recording my own and my families story. I cannot wait for my great great great grandkids to read my journal/blog.