REJECTION…SHARING MY OPINIONS….SUCCESS
An extra post today just because…
A while back, I made a comment about reading through many posts and blogs, but not always sharing or commenting on them.
It was unintentionally offensive for many reasons. The bloggers I read have a wealth of knowledge and do a great job getting followers, staying true to their messages, etc. If I don’t share many posts here or comment on their blogs, it’s because of my personal fears.
Fears that come and go like ocean waves. Sometimes stronger and more obvious. Other times weaker and distant, almost invisible for a time.
SHARING MY OPINIONS
I am afraid of commenting on blogs and review sites. It stems from being made fun of, bullied, shamed, and criticized whenever I spoke up in the past. Because of this, it takes a long time for me to believe my opinions have value and be brave enough to risk commenting in spite of potentially attracting the attention of trolls.
Related to that, I find lots of wonderful information, but am never sure
- How to relate it to the purpose of this website and blog
- If sharing someone else’s post is okay or not – permissions, plagiarism, pirating, etc.
- Whether or not my website and blog has enough value to be worthy of sharing the author’s content
In short, I question the value and worth of my opinions often, especially when my goal is to share useful information.
REJECTION
Making a comment, sharing someone else’s content, reviewing a book/video/presentation, is equal to putting myself in the spotlight. That makes me vulnerable to both positive and negative reactions, heckling, feedback, etc. from anyone who visits here. It also makes anyone who visits, comments, or likes what I write vulnerable rejection too.
So, if I don’t share a lot from other bloggers or make comments, it’s because I fear rejection. I fear others reading my comments and a) ignoring; b) responding with something mean or hateful or shaming; or c) backtracking to harass and bully not just me on my blog, but any of the guests who might or might not comment here too.
SUCCESS
This blog came about as a rejected book idea, an unsuccessful business venture, and many missed opportunities. I only went through with it because I didn’t think the blog would work, and I was afraid of trying to find success as a published writer in traditional venues. I never thought the website or the blog would be successful in any way. Or that so many people would support this site and welcome me into the blogging community with acceptance, respect, and compassion.
Every time someone liked a post or commented or started following the website and/or blog, I got scared. Then I started pressuring myself to be more successful in traditional blogging terms – write better content, add more photos and videos, get more followers – and started feeling anxious about writing and sharing here. Suddenly, I didn’t want to write posts anymore. And when I did, writer’s block came to visit.
I literally did almost close down everything last December. It felt like giving up and giving in to my fear because I wasn’t good enough to continue making this a success. Not if it meant adding features and trying to get more and more followers, likes, comments…
That wasn’t how I measured success. It still isn’t.
SO WHAT CHANGED?
I did. My alters did.
We re-defined what success meant to us. And then we decided that this website and blog started slow, really slow. And it will progress just as slowly. Rushing never got us anywhere we wanted in the past.
WORKING WITH MY FEAR
When I started this website and blog, I did not expect to have anyone visit, let alone comment or follow my work. The website was meant to exist and be a safe place to visit once in a while. If it helped even one person find hope in the darkness, the website did it’s job.
The blog was meant to be a place where I and my alters could freely share resources, information, and stories about ourselves and our fears. Sure, some of the writing would be polished, professional, and great. But other posts would not be any of those things. They’d reflect the personality, thoughts, and feelings of the alter or alters who wrote the post.
GRATITUDE
I am thankful for the many guests who visit and follow my blog. Thankful to the people who check out the different website pages beyond the blog. Thankful for the people who share this site with others.
But most of all….
Thankful for the many people who may or may not have figured out who I am, who might now each other outside of the Internet, and still maintain safety and anonymity that is the cornerstone of this community within a community.
FEAR
In conclusion, yes I am afraid of many things. I am afraid to leave my apartment, be in crowds, participate in conversations, and talk in public among other things.
But I’m also ready to face those fears and start commenting more on other blogs while also sharing information from those blogs here.
Thanks for reading.
