It’s almost been a year

Sometimes it’s important to look at where you have been to remind yourself that you are going places, or to reassure yourself that you are moving in the “right direction”.  This month is the one year anniversary of my blog, so I decided to spend some time reminiscing, not just about the contents of MY blog, but my entire blogging experience including the road blocks or problems that I created for myself.  Who knew the experience would prove to be so rewarding?

I officially created my blog on September 30, 2017.  In my first post, called “First Blog Post”, (I know how original right?) I attempted to explain what I was doing here.  The goals for my blog etc.

Over the next week or so, I read any and everything that I could find about how to set up a blog (yes I now realize that MAYBE I should have done that first?!?!?)  I read about copyright laws for photos, SEO, tried to understand backlinks etc.  It really was NOT fun, and I ended each day with a migraine and a few of those days in tears.  I started comparing my itty bitty baby blog to others thinking there was no way in hell I would ever measure up.  But then I asked myself who was I competing with…. The answer was NO ONE but myself.  I was at a turning point in my life and I didn’t know which direction I wanted to go next.  The context of the next page I made is here under Disclaimer.  (Now it looks nothing like the original, but the words are the same.)

During the month of October

I wrote about how and when I was diagnosed with MS, and how I decided to take the disease modifying drug that I am on.  I have never been much of a writer, now talker on the other hand…., so I had NO IDEA how therapeutic writing could be.  I couldn’t believe how much lighter my shoulders felt after “dumping it all out there.”  I joined every facebook group I could find for Multiple Sclerosis and Tysabri.  I wanted to help everyone, and be friends with everyone.

During the month of November

Looking back, I can tell you that is the single biggest MISTAKE, that I have made on my journey.  I now realize I don’t want to spend my time with negative people!!!! As if dealing with MS isn’t enough, mean people suck!  They literally suck the energy right out of you!  I felt like I had run head first into a brick wall.  I had spent so much time “friending” everyone that I neglected to be selective in the process.  Even though, I had “met” and was still friends with some good people, I had let myself get sucked into a world of bitchy, whiny, sniveling people in Facebook groups.  UGH!!!!!  (Like I want to be sick ugh)  People would complain that they were lonely and needed friends, yet didn’t want to do the work.  Others would ask for help with an MS symptom, and when I would try to offer advice I literally got “yelled at” because I offended someone by being unsympathetic or condescending.  SERIOUSLY?!?! I spent the rest of the month doing more soul searching.  I spent less time in the FB groups, and more time seeking out positive people to spend my time with. I created an Instagram and a Twitter account, adding actually learning how to use them to my “to do list”.

The Month of December

I still had a “bad taste in my mouth” from all the cynical people from the Facebook Groups, so I spent less time there, and more time on WordPress.  I began sharing what I thought were “funny events” in my life with my posts about Renaming my children and Not winning the mother of the Year Award.  I pushed myself to see the positive in every negative situation that came up.  In the process, I made some great friends.  The kind that inspire you to be the best you.  The kind that make you laugh, and are honest enough with you to tell you when you are being a dumbass.  This is where I wanted to be!

In January 2018

It seemed like Everyone posted about new year’s resolutions.  I didn’t have anything to say about that.  I don’t make NY resolutions, for me it’s an everyday all the time “self check”.  “Was I being the best ME that I could be?”  “Would I be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning if I had let the toxic thoughts that sometimes invaded my mind come out of my mouth?”  NO I WOULDN’T.   I felt that I was doing ok there, so I skipped the New Year’s resolutions lists.

When I originally started writing this, I was going to go month by month and talk about my experiences, but I am at 818 words already and since I usually lose interest around this time when I am reading a blog, I feel I should stop.  I feel that I have been in survival mode for most of 2018, and I think it will be healthy for me to spend more time looking at where I have been this year, before deciding what my next steps are.  Surprisingly for me I have made 148 post to date, and if I am going to reread them all, I had better get started.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!