6 MONTHS OF BLOGGING: FINDING MY PASSION AND CELEBRATING YOU

Each morning as I wake up grab my coffee and head out to work, I try hard to remember why it is that I do what I do. You see it's not that I hate my job, in fact I love the people I work with and love this company that I have worked at for many years. The reason I feel this way everyday is simply because it is not my calling, it is simply a job. A job that pays my bills and helps me to survive, but it is definitely not my passion.

For years I always wondered what it was I wanted to do with my life and I could never quite answer this question. The things that I love had never come together in a way that really made sense. That is until February 8, 2018, the day that changed my life forever, and the day I discovered my passion. My blog began as an outlet to share ways that I have learned to save money, make money and my personal financial story with others. On that first day I hit publish on Saving Joyfully I do not think I ever understood the great joy that this adventure would bring into my life.

The blog began as a hobby with hopes of someday making an income and it quickly became a passion that forever drives me and leaves me longing to do it more. I knew that writing has always been a passion of mine for many years. In fact during my second job I working at a nursing home in high school, I carried a notebook on me in my apron where I would write poetry on my breaks. That little notebook came with me every day and every time an inspiration would come to mind I would quickly pull it out and write it down. At the age of 20 or 21 I started submitting poetry to various magazines . I received a phone call and handwritten letter from Decision magazine, asking to publish a poem I had submitted. I made $40 on that poem that day, but it was the first time I had made money on something I had created and loved. The second time I would make money from my love of writing would be after starting Savingjoyfully.com about 15 years later.

Although Savingjoyfully.com has not made me a living yet, it has changed my life and lit my passion for writing on fire. I cannot explain the feeling of sitting down to write each post as it flows as I type on the screen in front of me. I just love it! I find that when I am at my full-time job every day, all that I can think about honestly is going home to write a post, or what my next post will be about. The day that I can say goodbye to my corporate job and finally write for a living, will be the day that I begin to live the life I truly love.

Throughout the six months since I began my blog I have learned so many lessons. The lessons that I learned have helped me to develop as a writer and create better content but more importantly grow as a person in so many ways.

6 main things I have discovered since starting my blog

1. Blogging is not an easy way to make money

2. Twitter is now my favorite social network thanks to all the amazing bloggers I've met.

3. Being supportive of other bloggers makes blogging less lonely and way more fun

4. Building and maintaining a website is a lot of work

5. I love writing and the more I write the more I love it!

6. Running a business Pinterest is pretty complicated

The list could go on and on of the things that I have discovered and learned since starting my website. I have so many people to thank for their support and so many experiences that I can take away from this even if I were to stop writing today. I feel as though I have finally found what drives me and what I am passionate about and I can honestly say I look forward to the lessons learned on this journey in the next six months of blogging. May there be more great lessons learned, financial goals crushed and bloggers and readers that I have interacted with on this Journey. To those who have been there this whole time and to those who are just joining me. Thank you so much for the Incredible support and the time that each of you take to read my posts and interact with me on social media. You are the best reason to raise my glass and toast another six months of blogging and connecting with my readers.