Do it Better

One of my lowest points financially hit me like a brick. I was standing in the supermarket and I had a choice. I could buy a clearance sale bag of French Fried potatoes or a roll of toilet paper. I could not do both. At that moment I felt helpless, angry and questioning why I was even here. I was not questioning why I was in the supermarket. I questioned how did I get to this point where I had to make this kind of choice? That was my financial bottom. Like Scarlett O’Hara, I vowed to change the situation. I did not know how I was going to do it but it was going to happen. I was a journey and I made missteps along the way. I did know that my ignorance was putting me in jeopardy of harming my spirit. I’d seen the walking dead; the people who go through the motions of life waiting to die.  That scared me more than anything and inspired me to learn what I needed to know. This series of Women’s History posts came from seeing the 1929 Depression as a metaphor for surviving and thriving in the mist of chaos. The fact is that there have been multiple recessions since 1929 and there will be others.

I know a lot of bloggers who don't consider themselves writers or journalists. They consider themselves bloggers.  I'm not one of those people.  I blog because it's writing, and I love to write. Added bonus:  Self-publishing is a heck of a lot faster than the traditional method. And less painful emotionally. And ... I want people to read me.  I do. I admit it.  Is it vanity? Insecurity?  Not sure. Don't care.  

In January, BlogHer launched the Do it Better series to help you make lasting changes in 2009 once and for all. So, as we approach the end of the first quarter of 2009, where do you stand? Are you still on track? Did you fall off your path? Or, perhaps you got so sidetracked by the little daily crises that you forgot you were even riding the train at all.

Now that the First Lady has announced the creation of an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn, I’m feeling empowered.  Like maybe it was my BlogHer post on the subject that may have tipped the scale in our favor.  So now I’m wondering what else we can revive, preferably a well-established idea onto which I can just piggyback at the last minute.  I know.  Bartering!

I tend to approach blogging from a "passion" angle and not so much the "money" angle. I don't think I'm alone, either. I know there are women out there who want to have their voices heard and the income (if any) is secondary to that goal. (Don't get me wrong, it's a great perk, but it wasn't what made me start blogging.) My feeling is if you write about your passion, you've found your niche. Choosing your niche based on its potential profitability rather than your passion will lead to burn out and dissatisfaction.