First and foremost, Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope you are enjoying this unofficial kick-off to Summer.
In this installment of real talk, I want to keep things light-hearted. I have come to the realization that oftentimes I am a little bit negative in my real talk posts, and while the whole point of these is for me to be brutally honest with you about certain topics or experiences I've had, I also don't want to feed into my own negative thoughts.
I don't consider myself to be an outwardly negative person. If you watch me on snapchat, you'll see that I laugh like a bumbling fool about 90 percent of the time and that's not an act. I'm easily amused. If you make me smile, I'll probably be your friend for life. But inwardly, I constantly battle with self-talk that I would be embarrassed to say out loud.
Blogging affects my mood in strange ways if I play the comparison card. But what I haven't really touched upon very much is how blogging has affected me in such positive ways.
1. Blogging has given me a place to document not only my personal style and beauty choices, but also some important milestones in my life. I began writing here just as I was about to graduate college with a Bachelor's degree, something I'm really proud of. I also shared my engagement and then subsequent wedding. I also wrote about my dog Nettie. She will be three years old in August. I never meant to delve into anything personal, but I enjoy sharing more about who I am because clothes and beauty products don't always interest me.
2. It has taken me out of my comfort zone and has pushed me to meet new people, and thankfully, people I now consider friends. The picture below was taken at my first rewardStyle event, and even though I was absolutely terrified of feeling alone and out of place, I pushed myself to go. I met Gina there, along with Jodi and Sabrina, and I am so happy that I didn't let my fears win. Getting out of my comfort zone to meet new people is difficult but it's an important exercise for my confidence. You don't move forward in life by confining yourself, and blogging has taught me that.
3. It's given me a platform where I can create and write content that is unique to my interests and personality. I've wanted to be a writer in some capacity since I learned my ABC's, and although I took a different turn in college, I am now playing catch-up with what I feel happiest doing. I don't proclaim to be amazing at it, but I love language. I love how words can fill that void in my heart. Here, I can write about practically anything I want to, and that's something I'm truly grateful for.
4. It's a hobby that I have become proud of. I used to keep this space a secret from pretty much everyone in my life. I was embarrassed and sort of ashamed of it because it didn't quite fit the mold that I think my friends and family had of me. Honestly, I still cringe a little when my family brings it up because I know they don't completely understand why Nate takes photos of my outfits every week. If I like clothes and fashion, does that make me vain? Shallow? Yes, in some ways it does. But we all have our interests and there is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel your best. Everyone deserves that. I like being able to share my take on style, and so long as you'll read, I will continue to write.
