I've been blogging here for 4 years. This blog started out as a blog for my jewelry shop in 2008 until I realized that I missed blogging about my kids and my life. I missed networking with moms, sharing life experiences, making friends and writing. Once I realized what I was missing in my life, I decided on turning this into a blog about me and my family; I'm so glad I did.
Over the past 4 years I have met some great people, had the chance to work with some great companies and I had the chance to grow. Looking back at posts from 2009, I realized just how much I've grown over the past few years.
Four years ago I was 24 years old, struggling to make ends meet for my kids by taking on seasonal retail jobs, I was not comfortable in my own skin and wanted to embellish to make myself sound "cooler" than I was. Even though it didn't seem like it, I was still suffering from post partum depression...and a bad case of it. I hated myself and my life, I was grasping for straws to find anything that would make me happy. I spent money because, well, retail therapy... I was slightly irresponsible and didn't pay attention to finances. I took advantage of the fact that I lived with my mom and lived in the house for free and was just generally an unhappy person; even though I didn't let it show.
Since then I've learned the real value of money and how important it is to budget and make sure that you don't frivoulsly spend money. Hell, I still love to shop and retail therapy still helps me feel better, but I don't spend nearly as much as I used to. I've become a better mother and started disciplining my girls instead of letting them have free reign of everything, I feel they respect me more because of that. I still have lingering depression but it's not half as bad as it was 4 years ago. I've learned to love myself and learned that if I wanted something different about myself, I had to go do it myself. I have the power to change my own life and my own future and I am definitely taking control of it now. I learned, over the past four years, that I am a pretty damn cool person. I've learned that if someone doesn't like me for who I am, screw them. I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not for anyone.
Of course, my blog isn't as successful as I want it to be, but that will come with more time and dedication to making it into something spectacular. My blog has also gotten me into the job field I am in today; Marketing Manager/SEO Consultant. Due to the fact that I needed to learn more about promotion, keywords, social media, etc... I've learned so much and have done extensive research into being successful at it all. I'm sure I still have plenty to learn, but I know enough to impress companies and get them the results that they want. I may not have my "dream SEO/Social Media" job as of yet but I know there is earning potential, I feel that the more I work and the more I learn, the more opportunity I will have to be successful...I just have to keep working towards my dreams.
I owe my new found maturity, self confidence and partial success to my blog and all my readers. It's been a great four years sharing here and I'm hoping for many more to come.
How has your blog changed you?
