Why I Decided to Start a Blog

Let me first start off by saying I am so happy that you found yourself here reading this post. Whatever the reason, I hope you enjoy my blog and continue to come back and visit from time to time. As a way to celebrate the launch of this site, I wanted to go right ahead and get personal by sharing my WHY: what motivates me, what I hope for the future of this website and what ultimately led me to start this blog.

Those who are close to me know I have alway had an interest in blogging. This started long before I ever thought that starting a blog of my own was an option. In fact, the biggest challenge thus far was making the decision to just go for it. It took months (well, years really…) before deciding to intentionally invest in myself. I had to convince myself that I was worth the time and money it would take to turn this dream into what I hope will someday become a successful blogging brand.

If I had to narrow my motivation down to one specific driving force, it is the idea of being a support system, a shoulder to lean on and a helping hand to those around me. I THRIVE off of this and always have. Sometimes to a fault. Many of my friends call me “Mom” and I honestly love it and couldn’t be more proud of that title. Even though I am actually a mom now, I still feel a responsibility to be that person for my girlfriends, if and when they will let me. That’s because my friends are some of the strongest, smartest, most beautiful souls I know.

Do I have a background in Fashion? Beauty? Home Decorating? Absolutely not. None of the above. I have always focused on doing my best to look put together, because that is when I feel the most put together. I would describe my personal style as traditional and timeless with a few trends sprinkled in here and there. The same goes for my home. It may not look like it is straight from the pages of a magazine, but at this stage in my life it is important to me that it feels stylized, yet effortless. And you guessed it, beauty is no different; though, I will say, the years I spent as a dancer and professional cheerleader gave me a little more experience and “training” in this area. That being said, aside from regularly being required to wear a full-face of makeup and style my hair, I am no expert. But then again, none of us are. I am simply here to share the things that I have learned over the years and what works for me.

Writing is something that I have always loved and something that has come (somewhat) naturally to me. It’s the reason I studied Journalism in College (Rock Chalk! Hopefully I have some Jayhawks reading this?) and the reason I initially fell in love with blogs and still love to read them. Words are so powerful, both spoken and written. Have you ever read something that just stuck with you? Sometimes it’s just a sentence, a short thought, or sometimes it’s an entire page full of words. You may not know exactly why but for some reason it shifted your thinking, or spoke to the inner workings of your mind and for that reason you won’t soon forget it. That is truly the motivation behind all of this; the driving force from the bottom of my heart. To say something that resonates with someone, something that inspires them or impacts them. To me, that is the true measure of success. We were not put on this earth to make a living, we were put here to make an impact.

Now I don’t know what the future holds, so I can’t speak as to whether this blog will fulfill these desires of my heart or not. But if even one person finds value in it, then I will have succeeded. I created this website as a space for me to share the things that make MY world a better place, in hopes that they will make the lives of readers both happier AND easier. Whether that's fashion, beauty & haircare tips, marriage advice, or just wisdom for life; if I can't change your life for the better, my goal is to at least change your day for the better!

If I’m being honest, it’s not the blog itself that frightened me or prevented me from diving head first into the blogging world years ago. My biggest fear was putting my life out there for the world to see, most notably on Instagram. Even more, there is a part of me that is too humble to think that my decisions could influence others. There is sometimes a perception of bloggers as being narcissistic and holier than thou. It’s inevitable, regardless of their motivations and intentions. I never want to give anyone the impression that I think I am better or that my life is any better than the next person. First of all, Lord knows that isn’t true! And I can ASSURE you that it will never be true. Heck, I don’t even like taking selfies. I’m awkward and hyper-critical of myself and honestly just cannot do it successfully. So you can rest assured that posting a photo of myself on Instagram often comes with a long inner battle (and quite possibly a few sleepless nights).

Being overly active on social media platforms does not come easily to me. I am not naturally programmed to overshare my life on the internet, or really to overshare anything for that matter. I have always viewed it as a forum to celebrate the beauty in life. Often we share accomplishments, milestones and what make us smile. Or even just the little things that make us human because I believe sometimes other people need to hear those things and know they’re not alone. Say what you will about people only sharing the good things that happen in their life, or “hiding behind” the picture they build of their life online. I personally don’t see it as a problem, but as a way to put more good into this world. At a time where good news is often at a shortage, we should be encouraging one another to spread optimism instead of criticizing them when they do.

We’ve all experienced things in life, right? Some good, some not so good. I don’t know what demons you’ve dealt with up to this point. Just as I have experienced trials and struggles in my life that - by choice - I may not regularly share. That’s completely normal. We are all human. And who knows, in time I may begin to share some of my personal lows because it is in those moments that our character develops and our greatest lessons are learned. Though I may sweep certain details under the rug, without these experiences I wouldn’t be able to share their value in my life: added wisdom. And what good are wise words if not shared with others!

So, all of that to say, I hope you find value in my words, my experiences, or maybe you even just enjoy following along with my journey through life! If you’ve made your way here, I want to thank you for stopping by! I appreciate your feedback - I love my readers and subscribers and look forward to your comments and emails! Your support means everything to me.

XOXO,

Molly