Jun 21 2007
Can Personal Blogs Be a Guide To Self-Understanding?
Many bloggers have a niche - personal development, marketing tips, branding, making money online, hobbies, you name it, there’s probably a blog out there that’s focused on it, perhaps obsessed with it.
How about personal blogs?
If you have a personal blog, perhaps you’re writing about the horrible day you had at work, or your child’s birthday party or the crush you have on your next-door neighbor.
Whatever you write about, you probably have a common theme, a thread that runs throughout your posts.
Think of this thread as your focus.
What you focus on can tell you a lot about yourself.
When people learn that I have a blog, they wonder what I write about.
Until recently, my answer was something along the lines of, “Oh, all sorts of things, relationships, airport restrooms, observations on life, goofy stuff.”
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time thinking about what is important to me, what I want to do with my life, what is my purpose?
I’ve always thought that there was more to life than living by a formula: go to school, get a degree, get a job, get a mate, get a home, generate some progeny.
I’ve always believed that life should be enjoyed and that I should do what I felt passionate about. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel all that passionate about much of anything. So I let life guide me and I hoped. I hoped for inspiration.
I recently discovered that I feel passionate about writing. Great! Fantastic! I actually have a passion!
I’ve been whooping it up for a while now and have reached the point of OK. Now what. What am I going to do with my passion for writing?
I began to think about everything I’ve written here. I realized that there was a common thread throughout most of my posts.
The thread is this: Relationships.
I focus on relationships: the relationships between people, with ourselves, with nature. Overall, I want people to stay connected and stay connected in healthy ways. In loving ways.
I believe that everyone has a story and that sharing those stories connects people and sometimes helps them to heal.
My blog has shown me that relationships are important to me.
If you have a personal blog, what is its theme, the common thread that runs through all your posts?
What is your blog saying about you?
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I don’t think people tend to read and follow “personal blogs” as much as they do blogs about a particular subject. People who read “personal blogs” are usually family members and friends.
Hmm, I hadn’t thought about this little bit, Ms. Q…
It seems to me my blog is on the theme of growth. I get excited when I write about something new I realized, or something I’m looking forward to or doing.. A lot of my deeper introspective work is saved for my personal diary, I don’t really put it out there.
Yes, I think it’s a blog documenting personal growth.
I love reading other people’s personal blogs. We’re all a little bit exhibitionist and voyeuristic, us bloggers, yes?
Dan: Well, I would have to disagree with you! In my case I read many personal blogs in addition to focused ones.
While I do have friends that read my blog, I have more fellow bloggers who visit my site.
In all comes down to focus. As a Marketing Specialist (I visited your site) my guess is that you focus on branding and being specialized.
You probably associate with like-minded people and if you tend to read niche blogs and your drive is for personal branding of blogs, then personal blogs aren’t on your radar or anyone you associate with.
I have an interest in people and their stories. I may not like reality TV which seems unreal and exaggerated but I find that what people write - the words they choose, the images they select, the stories they share - all give me a sense of how much we have in common.
Based on your comment, am I right in assuming that you don’t read many personal blogs?
Irisi: Yes, the sense of I get from your blog is one of self-discovery and growth.
Hmm, bloggers as exhibitionists and voyeurs - yes, I would say so, in varying degrees of course! When I first started writing, I was more formal - I was both tentative in my writing as well as unsure in how much to put out there. I lurked on other blogs. I felt like a shy woodland creature!
Like you, I don’t write about everything here. Everyone has their private side and some things cannot be shared right away. Some things need nurturing or distance.
Hi Ms. Q . . . . it’s been quite a while and I apologize for being gone for so long! I most definitely agree with you that personal blos can be a guide to self understanding . . . i keep a online personal journal on my laptop that I only read for myself and I have to say that when I sit down and read my past months entries for the last month, I try to jot down what I have learned or experienced in the last month to help me grow as a person.
Hi, Gary: I’ve noticed you’ve been gone but figured that you’ve been too busy working at home - I noticed your own blog wasn’t getting updated as much. No problem with not being able to visit here and welcome back.
I don’t have a regular journal although I do write down what I do each day in an old-style calendar. I still like the pen and paper for certain things. Nothing much goes into that calendar but it does keep the days from blurring into one another - stuff like “was lunch with mom on Wed or Tues?” that kinda thing.
When I’m working through something or want to remember something in more detail, I do write things in an online journal. I write those in Notepad - I want to keep such things in ASCII so I can read them in the future. You never know - MS Word may not be around 20 years from now!
I never lived by the formula either and I have no clue what will happen to me.
My blog has no theme and proved to be nothing more than an instrument for my demise.
[...] Q Musings - Understanding Oneself through Blogging [...]
Ricardo: No clue about your future? Hmm. But you must have idea of what you’d like to end up, the life you’d like to have.
I can’t discern a particular them in your blog as yet. Instrument for demise? Huh.
Hmm, [hand on brow, eyes closed in concentration] Perhaps your theme is one of cynicism tempered by hope. You hope that life will prove you wrong - that you will regain your faith in the goodness of people.
Just a thought. Without seriously poring through your blog, I get the sense of your pointing out the ridiculous antics of people (greed, selfishness) and being astounded and grateful by examples of kindness.
Theme: A knight, clad in the armor of cynicism, hoping to be rescued.
WELL DONE!!! You taught me something.
Ricardo: Really? Wow.
Was this a surprise then? You’ve never thought this about yourself, never seen yourself in this light?
Actually I do but I only belive in hope 20 % of the time and my gut 80% of the time. It may be cynical at times but it keeps me from getting taken for a ride. How else is a young man going to keep his head screwed on in this crazy world?
Ricardo: Well - I’m glad there’s hope in the ratio. Unfortunately there are people out there who want to take advantage of everyone else so yes, some cynicism or at least realism is warranted.
I do believe in the law of attraction or at least, you find what you’re focused on. I’ve noticed that I really don’t expect people to take advantage of me and I may be on the alert for it but most people I meet in my business dealings have been very straightforward, honest, and want to do a good job.
Which is my way of saying that if hope increases to 25% you’ll probably have 25% more nice encounters! Which would maybe encourage you to have 30% hope….
Just a thought …
Excellent thoughts. And that upward build you speak of is happening. It’s at 21% and moving up.
I haven’t really thought of what my personal blog is REALLY about. I cover many topics ranging from personal experiences, personal thoughts, class lectures….and on and on!
I just like to share stuff with people
-Gregg
People write a great deal about themselves in their personal blogs, me included. I don’t know why I get pleasure out of people reading my blogs….Perfect strangers know a lot about me…this probably in the long run is not a good thing….
Yes, reading a personal blog (if the author is honest in their writing) can lead to a better understanding of the writer.
I try to stick in the occasional personal story on my blog to allow my readers to “connect” with me as a person.
Ricardo: I have no doubt that Good will triumph over Ego (of others)!
Gregg: Sure you like to share “stuff” and it may seem random to you. But what you’re telling your readers (or at least me) is that following the so-called prescribed Life Formula (go to school, get good grades, get a job…) is something you COULD do and do well but it ’s of little importance to you. Your theme has been, what, “Just not a man by his charms” or something like that, right?
Which means to me that you want to be known less by how you look (the trappings) but who you are, inside.
Your blog for all it’s “random stuff” seems to be about creating your own definition of success and that your success will be gained with integrity.
Marsha: Well, in your job you probably encounter and observe the best and worse of human behaviour! As a writer, reading personal blogs is yet another way to understand what drives and inspires people.
With respect to why you get pleasure from other people reading your blog - well, I would think that it’s nice to know that gee, I’m interesting enough that people want to read about my life. Since you’re also a novelist, having people read your blog must be even more gratifying.
I’ve only recently acknowledged that I am a writer and I feel very gratified (and humbled) when readers comment on how much a certain post meant to them or how much they enjoy my writing.
I can certainly understand your pleasure in having your blog read by perfect strangers!
HMTKSteve: Yes, I do love your personal stories! I cannot connect all that well to games but your stories - yep! I could read your stories all the time and they do allow me to “connect” with you. You also tease me incessantly here so of course I get yet another side of you!