#25 - Be a Wildly Successful Blogger

In an earlier post I talked about creating a 'Top 100' list. Number 25 on my list is to become a wildly successful blogger. If I'm being honest, I don't know where that came from. Although I've always enjoyed writing, and will occasionally read blog articles if the title catches my eye, this isn't one of my top dream jobs.

Have I been spending too much time listening to my son and his dreams of becoming a YouTube gamer? Is this an early warning sign of depression? Should I have my medication regulated?

Like it or not, it was written on my list and per my own rules I am not removing anything from the list. I figure if it made it there then there's a reason for it, even if that reason is currently unknown and confusing to me.

So, like the logical and science-minded person I am, my first thought is to break this down into measurable, achievable parts. And so I did. And so this site was born. And some things have happened along the way. I am once again finding my creativity in a medium that fits me. I learned a lot about creating websites. I am learning it is harder to write down your brain waves in an organized fashion that doesn't make you sound crazy than I originally thought. I am learning to be vulnerable through allowing complete strangers to know me.

And yet I have a twinge of regret making the words "wildly successful" part of the goal. What does wildly successful even mean? It is as subjective as the wind blows, and for a driven person like myself can and often leads to impossible standards. Enter in another learning opportunity. Being successful by worldly standards, other people's standards, or even your own standards is a road to disappointment because of the measuring stick applied. Followers, hits, likes, views, subscribers, haters, are all popular indicators of your earthly worthiness of being known. Given all this pressure even at the outset, how was I going to define successful?

Success is indicated when a purpose is fulfilled. What is the purpose of this site? If God's intention through me, this site, and this time in my life is for me to grow then it is successful. If the purpose is to learn to fully surrender control to Him and through that process recognize that I am more fully known by Him than I realized, then I am on the path to success. If His intention is to use this to further relationships through vulnerability and courage then we are on the path to success.

Friends, it isn't easy for me to write the above. Having been in the corporate world all my adult life, my measuring stick of success comes with paychecks, bonuses, high ROI, team growth, increased responsibility, and recognition for my work. Are those bad things? No, but they can be if they are your only things. Or, in my case, they slowly slip into first place and are valued equal to or above God's definition of success.

I simply offer that this season of life is giving me the chance to build a new measuring stick. Being known is a courageous journey of vulnerability that leads to very little recognition (or great scorn and mocking), unknown ROI, and huge personal risk. God's definition of success is on a completely different dimension where the rewards are peace, love, and trust in a relationship where you are completely and fully known.

My journey for this season of life has begun. Destination unknown. Distance unknown. Scary? Yes. Do I doubt myself? Every day. Will it be worthwhile? I believe so. My mustard seed of faith tells me it will and that is the voice of success on which I choose to focus my attention.

#mustardseedfaith #beingvulnerable #audaciouslyknown