Passion, Blogging, and The Core of Who We Are…

I received this heartfelt comment to a recent blog post, entitled, Blogging, Resistance, and Developing Discipline…

“My issue is figuring out what to write about outside the magazine. I have made a list of topics of interest… would like to establish myself in a particular subject area. Any ideas of how I can do this?…”

My response, after thanking the visitor for submitting their question was, “What is your passion?…You want to begin identifying that which most interests your heart and soul.”

The key to successful blogging is to consistently post new material,  and writing articles that both engage the readers and visitors to your website while providing them useful information.

Accomplishing this takes time and preparation. Getting the ball rolling and keeping it in motion can give rise to fears and frustrations.

I have come so far in this my first year of blogging.

I made a promise to release 4 blog posts each week of the year.

Having done that, I now realize that passion for my subject, writing fiction–novels and short stories–sustained and fueled my ability to follow through on this promise to myself.

The key to keeping and following through on the promises we make to ourselves always involves honesty.

Are we willing to do this?

Or are we simply trying to impress someone.

No room remains to hide our lack of authenticity when we are that other person–that someone, to whom we have made the vow.

Passion involves that which touches our heart and soul. Whatever our passion touches both demands, and reveals who we are at our core, our very essence, what makes us tick and feel most alive.

Passion cannot and will allow us to lie.

The adage, “If my heart’s not in it...” is never so true as with passion regarding the task of successfully maintaining a blog.

Writing articles that engage and stimulate the readers and visitors to your website also demands that your words reveal not only useful information, but that you infect readers and visitors with your excitement.

People come to the Internet seeking one or both of two things: information and entertainment.

Helpful and informative articles as well as those stories that entertain, and allow the reader to escape provide a level of healing.

They take away the pain of ignorance, not knowing, and of gaining affirmation, that of connecting with another who either shares similar viewpoints or struggles.

Good blog posts engender a sense of connectedness and understanding.

They also convey camaraderie that we are on the same or similar paths.

Let me help you. And likewise the readers of my blog posts assist me when they respond and leave comments.

The visitor’s question of how to figure out what to write about on their blog stimulated me to think.

Passion.

What is yours?

What makes your heart beat faster and fills your stomach with excitement when considering it?

Don’t judge.

Let your thoughts come.

Jot them down.

And then….start writing.