If you want something you never had, you need to do something you’ve never done.
Four years ago, this day, on a cold and bleak January morning, I published my very first post on my newly registered blog which I had named Soultalks because that was what it actually was—rambings of my inner soul. For years, before that momentous day, I remember being nagged and bullied by my conscience to pick up the pen and WRITE! But, my mind was caught in a deep freeze, and my only companions were constant self-doubts that were forever ready to thwart all my intentions of ever being a writer. Having mulled over it in a thousand versions of the same self-doubting ditty that I had been singing to myself for years, one morning I finally decided to break free.
Now, looking back, I am chuffed to recall that first post I wrote—a travel piece on Bylakuppe, a little known Tibetan settlement, located in lush green Coorg, on the outskirts of Mysore. It so happened that in December 2014, we had gone for a family trip to Mysore and Coorg. I had read about this Buddhist Monastery called Namdrolling and was particularly keen to visit the place, so coaxed the better half to fit it into our itinerary. When we visited Namdrolling, I was completely bowled over by the beauty of the monastery! Probably, my new-found inspiration and the sudden surge of enthusiasm resulting from that trip ultimately drove me towards my blogging journey.
While that first post took me forever to write, the thrill of completing it was unbelievable. Publishing it on the blog was an added bonus.
Over the next couple of weeks, I revelled in it with the feverish excitement of a teenager. Over the rest of the day, through the endless chores, I’d get down to tweaking what I had written. I’d be too tempted to edit my post every time I read it. In the coming weeks, I steadily got down to publishing a post or two every week. Of course, I was naive enough to believe that publishing a post was all there was to blogging. It would take me months to figure out just how complex the whole business of blogging would turn out to be. I decided to focus on writing solely for myself. I wrote as and when I felt like, and for myself. There were times when there was hardly any traffic. I continued nonetheless. Most of the contents on this blog started as personal outpourings. While many lurkers stopped by, there were only a few who actually connected. I made new friends and launched myself as a blogger.
Four years might seem really negligible to a veteran blogger, but I’ve had an incredible journey and some extremely valuable life lessons, thanks to the stumbling blocks that came my way, be it in the form of those intermittent breaks or the long torturous periods of being in the throes of a writer’s block, when the muse was gone for good. I still struggle as a blogger but now, I call myself a work in progress, because I’m learning to set smaller goals, and becoming more accepting of the fragility of life and the vulnerability of the human condition. Blogging is a part of this essential human condition where I am but a cog in the wheel, a minuscule element in the larger scheme of things. If there is one important lesson that I can take from this, it is this, that in blogging as much as in life itself, the journey to self-discovery will never be an easy one.
Today, this blog has become an inseparable part of my creative self, a doorway to my world of thoughts, dreams, memories and rants.
Writing on the blog has not just helped heal a hurt. It has also helped me survive hospital stays and bitter arguments and how to get over depressive thoughts. In fact, it has been nothing short of therapeutic to have poured oneself, (sometimes all of it!) into paper or the screen and let it bleed!
MySoultalks was once an impossible dream but now, I believe that the journey of a thousand miles did begin with that single step when I decided to write my very first blog post. And, together, just like that, the blog and I, have both come a long way, thanks to the constant love and support from YOU all—my readers, my fellow bloggers, and my writing group comrades—who continue to be the wind beneath my wings!
With heartfelt thanks and deep gratitude to each one of you who’ve been with me all along!
Today, on my fourth blogversary, I have just one small request for each one of you—What is that ONE advice/feedback that you’d like to leave me with, that can help me improve as a blogger and maybe, take this blog to the next level? Your feedback really matters a lot. Thank you very much for your time and patience. 🙂
Linking this with #MondayMusings by Corinne.
Many congratulations on this achievement. I just completed 2 yrs recently. do have a look https://sunniesmybunnies.wordpress.com/2019/02/09/2nd-blog-anniversary/
Happy 4th blog anniversary, Esha. It’s so wonderful to note that a trip made you explore blogging. A trip to an international border made me foray into blogging too. Isn’t blogging a wonderful creative vent?! I am so glad to meet you through this space and looking forward to meet you in the real world too. Wishing you many many more soul talks and tales at this space. Cheers ♥
Wishing you a wonderful Blogversary, Esha. I am so glad you made this foray into the blogging space and made it your own. Here’s hoping you write for many more years to come- always from the heart and always pouring yourself onto the pages. 🙂
Congratulations! I have been fortunate to meet you through your blog and it has been amazing. I love your writing style. As much as I love Sky Girl, I have missed you on this space. I know that maintaining two blogs is not easy so my only advice would be to write on this space more. 🙂
Other than that – your blog is you. calm and lovely! hugs and wishing you many more years of writing!
Esha Congratulations on this milestone. You have always been one of my favorite bloggers and I love your consistent, precise style of writing. Your posts are always meticulous with appropriate quotes, well taken photographs and of course faultless language. I don’t think I can give you any advice except KEEP BLOGGING!
Happy blog anniversary, Esha! I really enjoy reading your musings, so my only advice to you would be: keep on writing!
Write more often… That’s all I would say. Because I love your style of writing. It’s soothing and beautiful and not-rushed. It makes me slow down and feel every word and emotion that you want to express. Not everyone can write like that. I wish you many more anniversaries on this wonderful platform 😀
Happy Blogversary, once again, Eshu!
I may be repeating myself, but I really really love the style in which you write. So, the one advice I would give you is, maintain this style. Whatever you write about, whatever niche you create, just write the way you do now. It’s unique, poetic and really beautiful. I am learning so much of expressing my thoughts from reading your blog, you know? Of course, I won’t be able to write like you a 100%, but even if I am able to do it a 20%, I will consider my writing improved a 100%! 😛
Love and hugs!
I am so glad we met through our blogs! Never imagined I would make friends through blogging!
Many congratulations, Esha! Advice? Just keep going even when you feel like quitting. Believe in yourself! 🙂
Happy 4th Blogiversary, Esha. Like I tell you every year this day, we owe a lot to our blogs because they helped us to connect with each other. Not only connect but to have deep bonding. What shall we be without our blogs. I do have an advice which is actually borrowed from the post written by Shalini Nair on Write Tribe. It is to find your niche area. Of course you have Wordless Wednesdays where you post photographs from your trips and travels. Those are wonderful. In addition to this, you can look forward to writing regularly about your travels. I am sure your travel posts will not be just about what, where and when to visit but they will have soulful reflections in them. You do write such posts. Here the key will be to fix a day for each week/fortnightly to publish such a post and be consistent with the plan. Do tell me what you feel about the advice.
So true Esha.. I have discovered a whole new world through blogging, not to mention the numerous friends I have made. Between life and work and children, I had hardly any time to maintain my friendships, let alone new ones. But blogging, really helped me meet so many new people with similar ideas. I am so glad I also met you through your blog 🙂 Happy Anniversary.
Four wonderful years of blogging, congrats Esha! I can totally relate to all you’ve sid her. The excitement of publishing your first post, the repeated tweakings and the ecstasy of reading comments from your visitors. It took me a while to unravel the blogging world mysteries, quirks and communities. But by the time I did that, things had changed…it was all about SM presence! Sighh! I’ve always enjoyed reading your soulful musings, poems and beautiful travelogues Esha. Your content has always been consistent…from the heart! What advice can I offer you blogging-wise? Well, just do it because you want to do it, rest will fall in place…or not? Doesn’t matter, to thine own self be true! Cheers and keep the words flowing dear friend.
Happy Blogversary!